1. Inhalt
  2. Navigation
  3. Weitere Inhalte
  4. Metanavigation
  5. Suche
  6. Choose from 30 Languages

#speakup barometer | Ghana

DW Akademie - Recherchereise in Accra, Ghana

Ghana is undergoing a multi-level digital disruption

Digital disruption in Ghana comes with opportunities and threats. Whether it’s media, politics, the economy or education - nearly every facet of society faces its own challenges. 

Digital Participation Matters

The #speakup barometer is a DW Akademie project that examines the connection between digital participation, freedom of expression and access to information in five thematic areas: Access, Digital Rights, Media and Journalism, Innovation and Society. 

DWA DW Akademie speakup barometer
People using digital media
A perspective from Northern Ghana

From maize and millet to mobile phones, how digital media is transforming Ghana

Issahaku Yakubu farmer from Kpene, Ghana

New technology has brought families closer but still divides a nation. The promises of the Internet have been a game changer, but a lack of competition and an urban-rural divide threatens Ghana’s progress.
DWA DW Akademie speakup barometer

Visualizing the overall results for Ghana

See the detailed results for all of our five clusters visualized in one chart: Access, Digital Rights, Media and Journalism, Society, and Innovation. Please click to enlarge the image.
Expert interview

Impact Hub's William Senyo’s digital city: ‘We are not the fastest but we are likely to be the winners in the end’

Will Senyo, Co-Founder & CEO Impact Hub, Accra | DW/J. Endert

Behind every government vision for the future, are the hardworking, dedicated foot soldiers on the front line, those pulling the levers of change, determined to make things happen. People like William Senyo.

Ghana: Advanced Level of Digital Participation

Ghana is on its way to becoming a society which is able to harness the opportunities of digitalization; opportunities that also open up more options for digital participation. The country has some of the right conditions to realize this ambition, and Ghana’s young population is emerging as the driving force of digitalization. An innovation scene is starting to flourish, and both traditional media houses and media start-ups and bloggers are beginning to form a new digital media landscape. Access and cost are the main reasons why many people are still unable to participate and have their own voice on the Internet. Efforts are also needed to protect freedom of expression in Ghana. 

Ghana's digital experts
  • Students from Ghana Institute of Journalism (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Students from Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ)

    Twenty-five students contributed to our research and took part in a group discussion at the GIJ about digital journalism and digital participation. Alive to both the potentials and the threats of digital media, the students viewed themselves as guardians of journalistic ethics and quality standards in the future.

  • Vivian Affoah, Senior Programme Officer for Freedom of Expression Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Vivian Affoah, Senior Program Officer for Freedom of Expression Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)

    Vivian is one of MFWA’s longest serving staff members. She coordinates projects and activities on the safety of journalists, anti-impunity, and digital rights. She also supports the conduct and writing research reports focusing on the state of freedom of expression in West Africa.

  • Raymond Acquah, Program Coordinator, MyJoyOnline Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Raymond Acquah, Program Coordinator, MyJoyOnline

    Raymond is an experienced journalist and program coordinator skilled in editing, market research, and television broadcasting. He works as a presenter and fact checker. At MyJoyOnline he oversees online activities.

  • Precious Ankomah, program manager bei penplusbytes in Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Precious Ankomah, Program Manager at penplusbytes

    Precious holds a Masters of Arts degree in Communication Studies from the University of Ghana. After working in the media for some years, she has gained expertise in news writing and reporting for both online and offline audiences. In her role as program manager for new media innovations, she manages relationships with one key stakeholder, the media.

  • Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa, National Coordinator, Alliance for Affordable Internet (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa, National Coordinator, Alliance for Affordable Internet

    Kwaku is a public policy development, management, and reform specialist. He is the Ghana coordinator at the Alliance for Affordable Internet (a4ai). In 2014, he concluded a 35-year career in the civil service, where he became chief director at the Ministry of Communications. He helped to formulate Ghana’s first ICT policy, plans for socio-economic development, and telecom policy.

  • Vanessa Otchere, journalism student from Accra in Accra, Ghana (DW/S. Fischer)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Vanessa Otchere, journalism student, "techpreneur", blogger and founder of a startup called TicketEx

    Vanessa Otchere is an entrepreneur at the forefront of Ghana’s digital revolution. She has just set up TicketEx, an online platform for buying bus tickets. Having entered her final year at university, she splits her time between studying and getting her company off the ground. She does the front end of the business while the developer does the back end.

  • Ashwin Ravinchandran, General Manager MEST Incubator in Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Ashwin Ravichandran, General Manager MEST Incubator, Accra

    Originally from India, Ashwin is an interactive designer and developer, specializing in UI/UX. His expertise spans engineering, research, and web development. He joined the MEST team in 2015 as a technology teaching fellow concentrating on design, scale/strategy and innovative technologies. In 2017, he joined the MEST management team as the Accra incubator general manager.

  • Ghana re:publica Accra (DW/Julius Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Jemila Abdulai, Blogger and Founder of Circumspecte.com

    Jemila is a Ghanaian blogger, writer and digital marketer. In 2007, she founded Circumspecte.com, a digital platform and lifestyle blog “dedicated to capturing meaningful insights, imbibing digital skills, spurring interaction and inspiring creative action on/for/by Africa(ns).”

  • Kingsley Obeng-Kyereh Executive Coordinator Curious Minds in Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Kingsley Obeng-Kyereh, Executive Coordinator Curious Minds

    Kingsley studied geography at the University of Ghana and began working with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation during his national service. Since then, he has become an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, and a mentor at Curious Minds.

  • Ghana re:publica Accra (DW/Julius Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Regina Honu, CEO Soronko Academy

    Regina is the CEO of the Soronko Academy, a training facility that runs the Tech Needs Girls Project. Tech Needs Girls is a mentorship program where they teach girls to code and work with technology. They also provide classes for Schools that will like to include coding and design thinking in their curriculum and Adults and people in university who want more practical technical skills.

  • Ibukun Onitiju, Director of Digital, Ringier Africa Digital Publishing Ghana / pulse.fm, Product Lead Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Ibukun Onitiju, Director of Digital, Ringier Africa Digital Publishing Ghana / pulse.fm, Product Lead

    Ibukun is a young and vibrant media professional with extensive experience and expertise in digital marketing and digital media. He leads Pulse Ghana – Ghana's popular online news and entertainment platform.

  • Tommy Annon-Forson, Program Director RABODEF Radio Academy Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Tommy Annon-Forson, Program Director RABODEF Radio Academy

    Tommy has been influential in the training of a number of the country’s top broadcasters at his school. The Rabodef Radio Academy is affiliated with international broadcasters such as Deutsche Welle (DW), Radio France International (RFI) and the American Embassy’s Information Service. Known as 'Uncle Tom', he is well respected for his immense contribution to broadcasting in Ghana.

  • Will Senyo, Co-founder & CEO Impact Hub Accra in Ghana (DW/J. Endert)Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Will Senyo, Co-Founder & CEO, Impact Hub Accra

    Through the Impact Hub Accra, William is on a mission to turn Accra’s Osu Ako Adjei district the city’s innovation heart, and the nerve center for Ghana’s entrepreneurs and boldest thinkers. His work tries to harness talent, tech, and capital for social good. He has driven the hub to become Accra’s premier startup hotspot.

  • Ameyaw Debrah, Blogger aus Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Ameyaw Debrah, Blogger from Accra

    Ameyaw is one of Ghana’s most influential bloggers. He founded AmeyawDebrah.com, an entertainment website and blog that primarily publishes news about Ghanaian celebrities. Together with his production team he now runs various channels on different social media platforms but also works as a freelance journalist, video producer and reporter.

  • Kent Mensah, Journalist from Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Kent Mensah, Journalist from Accra

    Kent is an award-winning online journalist, radio personality, and blogger with 14 years of experience in print and online journalism. He works for Starr FM, the international news agency, AFP, and as a lecturer at Central University College. He studied journalism in Ghana and Germany.

  • DW Akademie - Recherchereise in Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Victor Asante, Senior Manager, Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC)

    Victor is in charge of research, monitoring and evaluation at Ghana’s Universal Service Fund, the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC). He is passionate about the digital participation of the unconnected and is a vocal advocate for the removal of barriers to access. He is a member of the global advocacy group, Alliance for Affordable Internet in Ghana.

  • Jerry Sam, project coordinator at Penplusbytes in Accra, Ghana (DW/J. Endert)

    Ghanaian digital participation experts

    Jerry Sam, Project Coordinator at Penplusbytes

    Jerry is a journalist and trainer. He is the director of programs and project manager for the African Elections Project (www.africanelections.org). For Penplusbytes, he works on the implementation of digital projects for monitoring elections and fighting against corruption.


Get inspired
Journalism student Vanessa Otchere and blogger Ameyaw Debrah (DW/S. Fischer/J. Endert)

Young, smart, and ambitious: Ghana’s ‘social media entrepreneurs’

Using the Internet to carve out careers, a new generation of Ghanaians is staking out a future for themselves. Meet two of the ‘social media entrepreneurs’ who are playing by their own rules.
DW Akademie - Recherchereise in Accra, Ghana

Get inspired: media and ICT projects from Ghana

Ghana has a diverse digital start-up scene. Due to the expansion of mobile money, FinTech startups are playing a major role but there are also interesting projects in the field of digital media.
DW Akademie in Ghana
DW country coordinator Beate Weides at RADP Ghana / pulse.fm in Accra, Ghana

Supporting a diverse media landscape in Ghana

DW Akademie in Ghana supports citizens as well as media practitioners to ensure a media landscape based on unbiased, factual information.
DW Akademie Mitarbeiter - Beate Weides

DW Akademie’s Beate Weides says media in Ghana are taking advantage of digitization

Internet and social media are new channels for dialogue but in Ghana, digital participation is always a cost issue.

Cash for coverage: Ghanaian media’s hidden secret

Teaser cash for coverage

It may be banned, but the culture of brown-envelope journalism courses through the bloodstream of Ghana’s media industry. What is driving it? And what can be done to stop it eroding trust in the media?

Sources and data on digital participation