Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, BSc, MPhil, PhD (Cantab) – Board Chair
Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, BSc, MPhil, PhD (Cantab) – Board Chair
Professor E. Y. Danquah is the Founding Director for West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), President of the African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) and a professor of Plant Genetics at the University of Ghana-Legon (UG). He is also the Chairman of the Governing Council of University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa.
He has served in various capacities in the Crop Science Department of the University of Ghana as Senior Lecturer from 2001 to 2004, Associate professor from 2004 to 2006 and Head of Department from 2005 to 2006.His leadership prowess is demonstrable in key milestones he spearheaded at the University of Ghana. As the lead UG academic in the UG-Cornell University partnership, he secured funding for the establishment of the Centre, and led the development of physical infrastructure, strategic plan and protocols. As Dean for the International Programmes Office from 2006 to 2009, he managed an estimated thirty (30) active agreements, signed forty-four (44) new partnership agreements, and hosted 148 visiting delegations from institutions worldwide. He was also instrumental in securing two (2) PhD scholarships tenable at University of Paris XI, Orsay for the University from the French Embassy in Ghana.
He is a fellow at the Cambridge Commonwealth and Philosophical Society since 1989. Since 1990, he has been a member of the Ghana Science Association (GSA) and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). He is also an Advisory Board member of the Center for African Leadership Investment and Development e.V, Leipzig, Germany since 2014. In 2013, he became a member of the Independent Advisory Committee and the Research Management Committee of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals, ICRISAT, Patancheru, India. He is also a Technical Advisory Member of the National Biosafety Committee, Ghana. At the University of Ghana, he is a member of the Executive, Finance and Estimate Committees.
His immense contribution towards learning and research is evidenced in 50 publications, 4 books and 6 book chapters.
H.E. Samira Bawumia – CEO
H.E. Samira Bawumia – CEO
H.E. Mrs. Samira Bawumia is the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana. She is a passionate and tireless advocate of women’s rights and economic empowerment, gender equity, entrepreneurial development, women and children’s health, as well as education. She is known for her goodwill through her philanthropic organisation, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP). Through SEHP, Her Excellency has initiated critical and timely interventions in the areas of health, education and women empowerment.She is an advocate for the “Combined Maternal and Child Health Record Book Project” – a Ghana Health Service initiative, with support from the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA). She is also supporting the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the “Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development,” a project focused primarily on childcare. Mrs. Bawumia is spearheading a Coalition of People against Sexual and Gender-based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The mandate of CoPASH is to bring together
agencies, organisations and individuals who are passionate about the rights of women and girls, to advocate for better case management for victims of “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices” (SGBVs/HPs).Mrs. Bawumia is also the Chief Trustee of the SEHP Educational Trust Fund, a Fund set up to provide scholarships to brilliant but needy students in tertiary institutions.
In October 2017, Her Excellency was appointed as a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, a public-private partnership hosted by the United Nations Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment. She uses her influence to raise awareness on issues of clean cooking and advocates for the adoption of clean energy solutions on the global stage. As part of her global mandate, Her Excellency has advocated for clean cooking solutions at several international conferences and fora. Notable amongst such conferences are; ‘The Clean Cooking Forums in India and Kenya, the First WHO Global Conference on Health and Air Pollution and the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, the 2019 Ashden Awards in London, UK, the Launch of Campaign to Unlock Full Rural Women’s Potential through the Power of Entrepreneurship, UN Headquarters, New York, USA, the 2019 Cooking for Climate: Scaling up clean cooking for climate, health and development” Session at UNFCCC COP 25 in Madrid, Spain, the 2019 World Bank Group’s Defying the Future: Frontier Solutions for a Changing World Learning Forum, Washington, USA, and the 2019 European Development Days in Brussels, Belgium.
For her many impactful initiatives to the cause of humanity, Mrs. Bawumia was named a ‘2018 African Woman of Excellence’ by the African Union Commission in partnership with the Diaspora African Forum. Her Excellency was also honored as one of seven global leaders in the sustainable energy movement, at the 2019 Seven for 7 awards, a celebration by Sustainable
Energy for All (SEforALL), in partnership with Ashden, in recognition of her invaluable role in leading and driving action on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), the call for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.H.E Mrs. Samira Bawumia holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law and Sociology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). She is married to H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, with whom she has four children.
Mrs. Joyce Agyeman Attafuah – Secretary
Mrs. Joyce Agyeman Attafuah – Secretary
Mrs. Joyce Agyeman Attafuah is a lawyer and a partner at Kulendi, Amponsah & Attafuah Law Firm. She is a Council Member of University of Development Studies- Tamale, Ghana and Assemblywoman of the Asante Akyem South District’s Assembly, Juaso-Ghana.She Chairs the Ghana Hostels Limited Board. She is also the Vice President of the Asante Professionals Club, Ghana. In addition to this, she holds membership in the Legal Aid Board, Ghana Bar Association, Justice & Human Rights Institute, Legal Outreach Team, Ghana School of Law, Makola, Civets Ghana and Focus on Africa Society.
Dr. Patrick Aboagye – Member
Dr. Patrick Aboagye – Member
Dr. Patrick Aboagye is the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service.Preceding his appointment as the Director-General, he was the Director of Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service. He is a Senior Public Health Physician Specialist, a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health with over 27 years’ experience as a clinician and Public Health Physician. He also has 20 years’ experience in Health Care practice and management in Ghana. He has supervised and managed impactful programs including Maternal, Newborn, Child Health, Nutrition and Family Planning in Ghana, particularly the MDG’s Accelerated Fund (MAF) Program, the Ghana Limited Obstetric Ultrasonography Program for Primary Health Care, the Girls’ Iron Folic Acid Supplementation Program, and the Medical Screening for Schools Program.
Ms. Joyce Rosalind Aryee – Member
Ms. Joyce Rosalind Aryee – Member
Ms. Joyce Rosalind Aryee is the Founder and Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries. She is also a Senior Mentor for the African Leadership Initiative and the Moremi Initiative for Women in Leadership for African Development (MILEAD) Foundation.She serves on several boards including the Databank Universal Economic School (DUES) and HGL Limited. She also chairs the One Ghana Movement. She holds honorary membership in the Ghana Association of Restructuring & Insolvency Advisor (GARIA). She has been a distinguished Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Engineers since March 2010; the Chartered Institute of Financial and Investment Analyst, September 2011; and the Graduate school of Governance and Leadership, October 2011.
Her experience in public service spans over 40 years, spanning a wide range of issues including environmental protection and public relations. She has served in the Ghana Chamber of Mines as Chief Executive Officer and the first woman to head an African Chamber of Mines. Due to her leadership of excellence and immense contributions to the mining industry, she was conferred an honorary doctorate degree in July 2009 by the University of Mines & Technology (UMaT).
Ms. Joyce Aryee received the Companion of the Order of the Volta, Ghana (CV) award by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana in 2006; the CIMG Marketing Woman of the year 2007, and the African Female Business Leader of the Year 2009 by the African Centre for Economic and Leadership Development. She was awarded as the Inspirational Woman at the Ghana UK Based Achievement (GUBA) Awards 2015 for breaking glass ceilings and being the first female to head an African Chamber of Mines. In 2014, she was honored the Public Relations Personality of the Year by the Institute of Public Relations Ghana.
Professor Lydia Aziato – Member
Professor Lydia Aziato – Member
Professor Lydia Aziato is the Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana-Legon.She has 20 years nursing experience with advanced skills in qualitative research and curriculum development. In 2017, she was awarded the Emerging Nurse Researcher by Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), U.S.A. In the course of her academic endeavor, she has authored 39 journals and 2 books across peri-operative nursing, women and reproductive health, nursing advocacy and qualitative research.Her professional membership and affiliations include; Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma Theta Tau International, Tau Lambda-at-Large Chapter; Faculty counselor, Ghana) in 2005, University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) since 2006 and Academic Board, Ghana College and Nurses and Midwives since 2015. Professor Lydia Aziato was also the Vice-President and Board member of Chi-Omicron-At-Large, a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) from 2015 to 2017.She served on the International Academic Nursing Alliance (IANA) Advisory Council from 2013 to 2014 as an Advisory council member.
Mr. Japhet Aryiku – Member
Mr. Japhet Aryiku – Member
Mr. Japhet Aryiku is the Executive Director of Helping Hand Foundation, Ghana, and the W.E.B. Museum Foundation, U.S.A. He is a Ghanaian-American who is well versed in Corporate America and the philanthropic community spanning beyond 40 years.He worked at JP Morgan Chase for 25 years and was a Vice President/Controller and Chief of Staff in the General Accounting Operations Unit in the Finance Division. On retiring, he foundered JLM Support Services, a successful minority-owned consulting firm, with admirable clientele including JPMorgan Chase, CIT, Freddie Mac, IPG, Earth Institute at Columbia University, and Kosmos Energy.
Mr. Japhet Aryiku founded the non-profit organization, Adakum Educational Foundation to provide educational and healthcare opportunities to less privileged children.
He holds membership on several boards including the National Council of Ghanaian Associations, North East Regional Council for non-profit and MedShare Group. He is a Senior Advisor to the New York -based Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the central organization established by President Eisenhower to promote American business investments in developing countries.
H.E. Mrs. Samira Bawumia is the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana. She is a passionate and tireless advocate of women’s rights and economic empowerment, gender equity, entrepreneurial development, women and children’s health, as well as education. She is known for her goodwill through her philanthropic organisation, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP). Through SEHP, Her Excellency has initiated critical and timely interventions in the areas of health, education and women empowerment.
