Mr. Osei Bonsu Dickson, Chairman of the International Planning Committee for the 2019 Inaugural Africa Security and Safety Awards and Expo (ASAS Awards & Expo) has met with His Excellency (HE) Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah and HE Paapa Owusu-Ankomah, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States (US) and Ghana’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK) respectively.

Both meetings respectively took place during the final quarter of November 2018, starting with Mr. Dickson’s November 21st official visit to the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC where he conferred with the Ambassador there and other high ranking Ghanaian diplomats. The meeting was intended to promote and seek international diplomatic support for the 2019 ASAS to be held in Accra, Ghana.

Speaking to the Ambassador in the US the International Planning Committee Chairman of ASAS noted that security was one of Ghana’s major intangible and traditional exports to the world generally and Africa in particular. ASAS Awards & Expo is scheduled for May 22-25, 2019 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana.

“It could contribute massively to the country and the region’s GDP,” said the ASAS Chairman, indicating that as “the trade and security gateway to Africa, Ghana would internationally position itself as the best location for investors interested in reaching the 350 million security and safety market in West Africa.”

ASAS Awards & Expo 2019 to inject increased security awareness

“The 2019 Expo is one of the major upcoming exhibitions in Africa encompassing commercial, homeland security, border, maritime and cybersecurity,” Mr. Dickson noted. He went on to reveal that the Expo was a $300M US dollars investment event that is projected to attract some 4,000 visitors, 28 speakers, and a host of international exhibitors from over 60 countries.

Ambassador Adjei-Bawuah pledged the full diplomatic support of the Embassy for the event particularly in the areas of event promotion to the US market, saying it was “a very laudable event that will go a long way to fitting into President Akufo-Addo’s agenda to establish a Ghana beyond aid. This will also initiate the needed conversation on the importance of security in all its forms that could push Ghana’s economy and society rapidly into a more modernized era and investor/tourist friendly venue.“

Other senior diplomats at the Embassy of Ghana that joined HE the Ambassador in hosting Mr. Dickson that day were Eric Boateng — Head of Chancery, Brigadier Abu — Defence Attache, Joseph Ngiminibaye — Consular and Stella Ansah — Trade Attache.

Center for Strategic and Defense Studies (CSDS) Africa (headquartered in Accra, Ghana) are organizers of the event, they will receive support from the Government of Ghana under the auspices of the Africa Union (AU).

CSDS Africa is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to the improvement of security and governance transitions in stable, fragile, failed and conflict-affected states in Africa. The organization maintains a global, multi-disciplinary network of researchers, practitioners, and academics specializing in the field of international peace and security.

ASAS Awards & Expo 2019 takes promotional efforts to the UK

On November 26, 2018, Mr. Dickson arrived in London to confer with Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, HE Paapa Owusu-Ankomah on ASAS. Like Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, Ambassador Owusu-Ankomah also lauded the ASAS event and promised to fully support it in any way he could.

Joining HE Owusu-Ankomah at Ghana’s High Commission to the UK to receive Mr. Dickson were Gabriel Owusu Ansah — Minister-Counsellor/Welfare & Consular, Freda Bediako-Puni — Minister-Counsellor/Political & Economic and other high-level diplomats.

A couple of days after the UK High Commission meeting, Mr. Dickson went ahead to attend the 2018 International Security Expo Olympia (ISEO) in London that held from November 28-29. The theme for the expo was ‘Evolving Security through Innovation‘. At that expo, he seized the opportunity to present the 2019 ASAS Awards & Expo to the international audience.

“London’s ISEO was a great learning opportunity for me, it afforded me an amazing networking opportunity and first-hand glimpses into ideas I know we will transplant into the 2019 inaugural awards and expo in Ghana and Africa come next year.” — Mr. Dickson.

Mr. Dickson subsequently signed the Guest Book at both Ghana Missions in the UK and US and presented an autographed copy of his popular book, ‘Dickson on Principles of Security Law‘ to both Ambassadors respectively. Visit www.csdsafrica.org for info about ASAS and how to partner or sponsor it.