News
Visually impaired student named valedictorian at University of Ghana
Mr Ephraim Ayeh Oracca-Tetteh, a visually impaired student, has achieved a perfect 4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), earning the prestigious title of valedictorian for the University of Ghana’s 2025 graduating class.
Mr Oracca-Tetteh was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Classics and Philosophy.
His remarkable accomplishment was celebrated at the College of Humanities congregation held at the University’s Great Hall.
Mr Oracca-Tetteh’s journey to academic excellence began at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2017 but was interrupted when his eyesight began to deteriorate.
Despite this challenge, he persevered and was transferred to the University of Ghana, where he thrived.
Beyond his academic achievements, Mr Oracca-Tetteh demonstrated leadership skills, serving as the organiser and Public Relations Officer for the association of students with special needs.
He also actively advocated inclusivity and accessibility of students with disability within the University.
In his valedictorian speech, Mr Oracca-Tetteh acknowledged the difficulties faced by the graduating class of 2024, including the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to modular learning, and personal hardships.
He emphasised the resilience of his classmates and the crucial role of the university’s support systems in their success.
Mr Oracca-Tetteh highlighted the transformative power of assistive technology in bridging accessibility gaps for students with special needs and shared his personal experience of how technology enabled him to fully engage with course materials and communicate effectively with lecturers.
Mr Oracca-Tetteh praised the University of Ghana’s commitment to inclusivity and its embrace of innovation and technology to support students with diverse needs.
Mr Kwame Agyepong Oppong, the Guest Speaker and Head of Fintech and Innovation, Bank of Ghana, tasked the graduands to remain committed to serving the country through their respective career choices.
“Let the course of Ghana and Africa be seared in your minds and be engraved on your hearts until you draw your last breath. From these lessons, I hope you are more assured that it does work out in the end,” he said.
The University of Ghana’s graduation ceremony, spanning seven days, will see a total of 18,780 students receive their degrees across 18 sessions.
The graduating class comprises 123 PhDs, 3,444 masters’ degrees, 11,067 undergraduate degrees, and 1,116 diplomas. —GNA
News
SEND Ghana engage Gender Minister for strategic dialogue on social protection and gender equality
A delegation from SEND Ghana visited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss collaboration on gender equality, social protection, and economic empowerment.
SEND Ghana, known for its policy advocacy and equitable development efforts, works closely with farmers and empowers young women aged 18–35 through Mastercard Foundation-supported projects focused on livelihood and agricultural support.
The Minister welcomed SEND Ghana’s initiatives and highlighted the Ministry’s alignment with their priorities.
She reaffirmed that social protection is a top priority under President John Mahama’s government and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand coverage and enhance service delivery through flagship programmes like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which remains vital for vulnerable households.
Regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Minister noted plans to introduce legislation to ensure its sustainability and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
She praised civil society’s role in monitoring local implementation.
The Minister also voiced strong support for menstrual hygiene and reproductive health campaigns, stressing education and access to sanitary products for adolescent girls, and encouraged efforts to break menstrual taboos and keep girls in school.
Broader gender issues discussed included reducing unpaid care work, promoting gender-sensitive leave policies (maternity and paternity leave), and boosting women’s economic opportunities.
Both parties agreed on the need to build gender-responsive systems that empower women socially and economically.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together for inclusive development, gender equity, and stronger social protection systems in Ghana.
News
3-Day in-country capacity building workshop on Women, Peace and Security Reporting Frame Work held
In 2018, the African Union developed the Continental Results Framework (CRF) to track the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda across Africa.
To support this regional effort, ECOWAS introduced a simplified version of the CRF in 2022 to guide member states in implementation and reporting.
As part of a broader regional effort to build national capacity across member states, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate for Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and the WPS Regional Steering Group—with technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ—organized a three-day in-country capacity-building workshop in Ghana.
Held from June 10 to 12, 2025, the workshop was spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the European Union, the German Embassy, and the ECOWAS Commission.
It aimed to enhance the technical capacity of national stakeholders and focal persons to systematically document, monitor, and report on WPS interventions, particularly in relation to Ghana’s National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (GHANAP II).
The training also focused on improving data accuracy, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring Ghana’s reporting processes align with the ECOWAS Simplified CRF.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Gender, Madam Faustina Acheampong, described the workshop as “timely and appropriate,” noting its significance in strengthening Ghana’s WPS reporting architecture.
She further stressed the importance of accurate data and coordinated efforts to meet the country’s regional reporting obligations.
She also underscored the critical role of women in peacebuilding, emphasizing the need to amplify women’s voices and ensure their full participation in peace processes to achieve lasting, inclusive peace in Ghana.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to Ghana’s WPS agenda. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women and girls and praised Ghana’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusive peacebuilding as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
Daniel Messina, from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, acknowledged the role of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Programme—funded by the EU and German Government—in promoting peace, security, and gender equity across the region.
Additionally, Pauline Okkens, Political Advisor at the German Embassy, reiterated her government’s continued support for the development and implementation of continental and regional frameworks on Women, Peace and Security.
