A total of 144 staff of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) across the country have received training in Advocacy Journalism to boost their work as well as add to their knowledge in the practice of work.

The training forms part of the Post Covid-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP) funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through SIF, executed by the Ministry of Finance and implemented by the Institute for Digital Marketing and Communication Ghana (IDMC Ghana).

Its main objective is to contribute to Ghana’s sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery in health, youth entrepreneurship, climate change, and gender and support the restoration of livelihoods, employment opportunities, and private sector development.

The project is being implemented for five years, spanning from 2022 to 2027. The SIF is collaborating with other implementing institutions, including the University of Ghana (UG), the Ghana News Agency (GNA), and the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), to conduct day-to-day activities of the project.

Mr MacDonald Acquah, Monitoring & Evaluation Expert, Social Investment Fund (SIF), during the closing ceremony of the Trainer of Trainers (ToT) session in Accra to climax the close to six weeks of sessions held at Tamale and Sogakope, said The PSDPEP project is being funded from a grant facility of 28.5 million United States Dollars (US$28.5 Million).

He said the project seeks to specifically support health-related skills development in higher education (at the UG) for the ultimate enhancement of Ghana’s healthcare delivery system; and promote technical and entrepreneurship for job creation among youth and women.

Mr Acquah said the beneficiaries of PSDPEP our staff and clients of the project implementing institutions, youth and women operating MSMEs or in cooperatives, and the population of Ghana in general.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Justice Amankwah Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), and National Coordinator of the PSDPEP urged the participants to contribute their quota towards Ghana’s post-Covid-19 recovery efforts through championing issues that would drive social change and development.

He asked them to do so by producing high-quality, impactful content that informs and educates the Ghanaian public on issues relating to public health, MSMEs, gender, climate change, and infectious diseases through stories, infographics, and documentaries.

Mr. Mensah the project would also allocate resources towards digitalising GNA’s system and rehabilitating its head office building in Accra, as well as the regional office buildings, including Tema, Takoradi, and Tamale.
He advised the participants to let the knowledge and skills acquired during the training be reflected in their outputs.

Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manager of GNA, congratulated the participants for availing themselves of the training adding that he was confident they would raise the flag of the Agency higher.

He assured that the Management of the Agency would provide resources and support staff to carry out their duties effectively.

Mr Owusu thanked the AfDB, SIF, IDMC Ghana, and other stakeholders for making the training possible and assured that the GNA would cooperate with them in advancing the goals of the project.