Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ms. Elsie Addo Awadzi, has urged financial journalists to be highly professional in their reporting work lest they undermine the financial system and economy.

She made this known at the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa training programme in financial journalism for journalists was launched in Accra at the Kempinski Hotel on Monday, 14 January 2018.

Ms. Awadzi stated the weeding out of ailing and poorly managed banks should make Ghana’s financial landscape more balanced and resolute adding the media has been a key partner in relaying information to the public, reason why occasional capacity building workshops is also held for the journalists by the central bank.

The Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) is a pan-African programme that builds media capacity, convenes international leaders and improves access to information in order to advance transparency, accountability and governance on the continent.

Notables also at the meet include Hon. Ursula Owusu- Ekuful, Minister for Communication, Hon. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, Minister for Education, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Professor Joshua Abor, Dean, University of Ghana Business School, Dr. Modestus Fosu, Ag Rector, Ghana Institute of Journalism, Mr. Tim Quashigah, Dean, Ghana Institute of Journalism and Ms. Christine Mwangi, Secretariat Director, Strathmore Business School.

More than 50 delegates are to gain from the first intake of the training that will be offered in partnership with the University of Ghana Business School and the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

During the next six months, the delegates will spend 19 days in sessions led by prominent faculty at the two local educational institutions and will cover topics to strengthen their skills in data analysis, capital markets, accounting, public policy, economics and journalism. They will also have a free subscription to the global data, news and information provided on the Bloomberg Terminal. The Training Program was previously offered in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, graduating more than 500 delegates.

Since its launch, BMIA has reached more than 1,000 stakeholders in Africa, with delegates from 13 countries graduating from the BMIA Financial Journalism Training Program. BMIA has also sponsored four annual conferences for media owners and senior leaders in business, government and civil society; a Fellowship for editors and senior journalists and a fund to promote community media and citizen journalism. The Ford Foundation has also provided support for some of these activities.