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Will Nkrumah live for ever?

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Image via WikipediaMany years ago, in the 20th century, a baby boy was born to an Nzema couple. This gifted lad grew up years later to become leader and President of a nation once colonized by the British. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, led the fight for Ghana's independence and drove the nation into its first republic. Nkrumah was celebrated by many from all walks of life, at least until 1966 when his regime was kicked out of power by the Nation's first coup makers.

I never met Nkrumah, he didn't grow old enough for that to happen, and I surely wasn't born early enough to witness this African legend. I read about him in school, visited the mausoleum where he was buried and listened to many scholars highlight his exceptional rule and governance tactics. A lot was done to preserve Nkrumah and what he stood for.

At this point I'm wondering whether these preserves will be present for the generations which will come after us to have access to. Can my great-grandchildren tell their children about Dr. Nkrumah? Or will his memory fade as the world begins to focus more on what technologies will enhance human lives on earth. I am slowly beginning to challenge the ''Nkrumah never dies'' assertion which seems to suggest the pioneer's legacy and memories will be kept till eternity (or at least for as long as possible). As the years pass by, and more pressing issues come up, will institutions have the luxury of spending time to transfer such knowledge from one generation to another?

The government's initiative of declaring Nkrumah's birthday Founder's day (or is it Founders' Day) was welcomed by most Ghanaians as a step in the right direction with regard to attempts to idolize our former president. What we need to ask ourselves is, did Ghanaians applaud this holiday declaration because one more day had been added to the long list of holidays we already have? or we were excited because we finally get the chance to set aside a day by which we can remember Nkrumah by? A conscious effort must be made keep Nkrumah's history alive, else our great grandchildren might not get to hear about him, at least not the way Americans about George Washington.

The world celebrates Mandela Day today.

2011-07-18T14:31:00.005+01:00

When the clock hit midnight, one of Africa's most respectable Politicians turned 93 years. This day marks his twentieth year as a free man after spending a greater part of his life behind South African bars. Personally, Madiba is a man I revere. I therefore see the United Nation's declaration of his birthday as the Mandela International Day as a good and a deserving gesture. There aren't too many political icons like him on the African continent.

Today, as South African the anniversary of the Nobel Laureate, people everywhere are encouraged to give 67 minutes of their time to reach out to others in their communities in any way they can. Each minute representing a year spent in politics by Nelson Mandela. Reach out to someone close to you and touch them with your talents or resource. Let them feel special and make a difference in someone's life. The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good.

Give 67 minutes to change the world on Mandela Day on Vimeo.

All you wanna know about the Chale Wote Street Art Festival

2011-07-14T17:52:00.003+01:00

What is the CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival?
The CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival is the collective effort of many young people—ranging from artists, musicians and writers to designers, students and activists—who will work together to produce Accra’s first annual street art festival. This one-day festival will take place in the working-class Ga community
of Jamestown and will include street painting and stencil work, sidewalk painting and chalk art, graffiti murals, large photography displays, live music performances, spoken word and dramatic storytelling, cultural dance and drumming, youth art workshops and much more. We are expecting more than 2,000 patrons to attend the festival. Our target audience includes art lovers,
students, artists and musicians, tourists, Jamestown residents, and everyday people throughout the greater Accra region.

The purpose of the festival is to promote the exhibition of alternative art in Ghana and to nurture an appreciation for different kinds of art among Ghanaians. CHALE WOTE means “Man, let’s go!” or is a reference to slippers worn on the
feet. Each of us comes from different walks of life but we all have something
valuable to contribute. This festival is completely “Do-It-Yourself” with the
talented energies of many people needed to make it happen. We are encouraged
by this collectivity and use CHALE WOTE as a way to mobilize an excitement
for public, alternative art, especially among young Ghanaians. In the spirit of
camaraderie, creativity and fun, CHALE WOTE is an accessible term used by
Ghanaians regardless of language.

What is alternative art?
Alternative art is not afraid of breaking boundaries or taking risks. Our folktales—
Ananse the Spider for example—dare us to be different. Alternative art is, simply,
that which is different or outside of what we normally consider to be art. It is the
mixing of many elements to make something new, energizing and thrilling. It is
flexible, experimental and critical of how the world’s leaders often neglect the
interests of marginalized people. By taking art out of the traditional spaces of
craft shops, museums, galleries, weddings and funerals and into the public street
space of Jamestown, we are opening up how art is experienced, hopefully, in
new, different and spectacular ways.

Alternative art is when a Jamestown kid makes a kite out of disposed water
sachets and rubber bags, or Wanlov the Kubolor merges his Ghanaian and
Gypsy roots into a remarkable album, or a graffiti artist maps the history of a
neighborhood on the side of an abandoned building. Alternative art can turn

something ugly or wasteful into something beautiful and functional. Alternative art
is a innovative solution to everyday problems affecting our communities.

We believe that everyone is an artist. Each one of us is distinct, special and
talented in our own way. Essentially, we are all different. Difference is a good
thing because it means we are all creative beings with the ability to make and
appreciate art. The CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival is a platform for different
kinds of art produced by artists and youth in Jamestown and throughout the
greater Accra region. We foster a culture of awareness about alternative art in
Ghana as a way to transform the creative potential of young Ghanaians.

Why is the festival happening in Jamestown?
We are excited by the unique history of Jamestown, particularly the community’s
fishing, boxing and Brazilian cultures. The colonial architecture, the die-hard spirit
of the people, and the intimacy with the ocean in Jamestown is an inspiration for
many local and international artists. Several historical forts stretching back to the
14th and 16th centuries—once held enslaved peoples and prisoners—are home to
this area. We will be working in concert with the Jamestown community— artists,
students, cultural performance groups, NGOs, business owners and street
vendors—to make the festival a success. It is important to have the enthusiastic
participation of the community for this event to be truly productive. Our hope is
to facilitate creative networking with people who live and work in Jamestown
so that we can help the community to continue producing innovative art events
throughout the year. We are committed to connecting our human and creative
resources to Jamestown organizations and youth interested in extending the
aim of the festival into sustainable programs. As the festival expands each year,
CHALE WOTE will move to different areas of the city.

Why a Street Art Festival?
As a culture, our shared expectations/ aspirations/ anxieties have defined the
boundary lines for inclusions and exclusions as far as art is concerned. As an
alternative art forum, the event is necessary to open up discourse to include
other dimensions of experience and perception (even though perception has
always been intrinsic to the experience of art, this makes a sort of deeper/
further inquiry into both subjects). The intention is not to prescribe what to [or
not to] recognize or identify as art but to open up possible constitutions and
interpretations of the genre—chiefly through participation, whether actively or
merely through observation.

The festival literally serves as a hybrid form of several genres of art brought to
the doorsteps of Jamestown residents. The city of Accra, for the purpose of the
festival, will be treated as a big canvas where there will be annual migrations of
the event to various spaces within the city’s peripheries. The event will gradually
paint a portrait of the city bit by bit. Painting the bigger picture from a singular
perspective (specific place in the city) makes it all the more interesting and could
also be another strand of documenting the project. We can have a map of Accra

and chart our travels through the city each time the festival happens and put
these images on display.

What can I expect to see at the festival?
The CHALE WOTE! Street Arts Festival will take place on Saturday, July 16th,
2011 from 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM. This event is free and open to the public. The
festival will feature vibrant and colorful painting and chalk art on the sidewalk
space from the Lighthouse to the Old Kingsway Building Ruin. If authorized,
we will block off the street within this area to paint it for the festival. If this is
not allowed, there will be a team of artists working to paint and stencil the
street beginning at midnight on July 16th. There will also be teams of artists
(professional and students) painting the walls of permitted buildings and the
sidewalk space continuously along the ten-minute walk from the Lighthouse to
the Old Kingsway Building Ruin. Detailed program schedules (in English and Ga)
will be available the day of the festival (along with sidewalk sign posts) to help
patrons get from one area to the next.

The festival will feature a number of activities for attendees to check out:
acrylic street painting and stencil work, sidewalk painting and chalk art, large
photography displays (on posts and by projector), three large installation
art exhibits, graffiti wall murals, live DJ and music performance sets,
spoken word and dramatic ensembles, cultural dance and drama troupes,
capoeira demonstrations, a kids’ creative corner, an alternative hair styling
competition, “trash to treasure” workshops, stilt walkers and acrobatic troupes,
bike stunts, and skateboarding and roller skating performances.

There will be seven main zones of activity: 1) The Lighthouse 2) The Mantse
Agbonaa car park 3) The Pharmaceutical Building side street 4) Small
Performance Square 5) The street in front of the Brazil House 6) Ebony & Ivory
Hair Salon and 7) The Old Kingsway Building Ruin.

Here is a tentative schedule of activities:

LIGHTHOUSE

• Live music DJ set (10am – 5pm)
• Installation art exhibit (10am – 5pm)
• Jamestown vendors (10am – 5pm)
• Photography exhibits on a projector (6pm - 10pm)
MANTSE AGBONAA PARK (10am – 10pm)

Graffiti murals on the walls bordering the car park
10-15 Large photography exhibits (individual and collages)
10-15 Alternative craft vendors (canopy tent on the outside of car park)
Children’s art expo
Festival patrons will park in this area (directed by a Jamestown traffic
controller)

PHARMACEUTICAL BUILDING SIDE STREET (12 noon – 5pm)

• Motorbike and bicycle stunts
• Skateboarding area
• Roller skater troupe
SMALL PERFORMANCE SQUARE (3pm – 8pm)

• Spoken word and poetry (Ehalakasa)
• Capoeira demonstration
• Cultural dance group and drummers (from Jamestown)
• Bonfire & story-telling (Jamestown person)
• Dramatic troupe
BRAZIL HOUSE AREA (10am – 5pm)

• Live Music DJ set
• Capoeira demonstration
• Face Painting
• Cultural dance group and drummers (from Jamestown)
• Stilt walkers & acrobatic troupe
• Kite-making workshop from rubber bags and water sachets
• Youth tire race (paint a tire and race it)
EBONY & IVORY HAIR SALON (10am – 1pm)

Funky Hair Art Competition (audience judges 5 contestants on who is the
best)
OLD KINGSWAY BUILDING RUIN (10am – 10pm)

Graffiti murals by artists & a teaching workshop (10am – 5pm)
A Youth Drawing Corner (10am – 4pm)
Workshops: 1) recycling old materials into cool accessories with Auntie
Renee 2) recycling waste into cool art with Tei Huagie and 3) making toys
and footballs out of junk workshop (for children and youth) (11am – 4pm)
• I.U.B. installation art exhibit behind the building
• Live music DJ set
• Live music performances (6 – 8pm)
• Block party music by DJ (8 – 10pm)

Who produces The CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival?
More than twenty Accra-based artists, activists, writers, students and musicians
are working together to produce this street art festival. The idea developed into a
project during The Talk Parti Series, a monthly discussion held by ACCRA [dot]
Alt organizers, Ghanaian filmmaker Mantse Aryeequaye and cultural scholar,
Dr. Sionne Neely. ACCRA [dot] Alt is a social enterprise that began in October
2010. The organization acknowledges and encourages the exploration of globally
experimental art forms in film, music, photography and design by Ghanaian and
African diasporic practitioners and audiences. ACCRA [dot] Alt is working in

Collaboration with multiple organizations to stage this festival, including the Fund
for Contemporary Art, DUST Magazine, and Ehalakasa among others. For more
information about The CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival or ACCRA [dot] Alt,
contact Mantse Aryeequaye by email at reddkatpictures@gmail.com or phone
(011) +233-244897948 or Dr. Sionne Neely by email at sionnene@gmail.com
or accra.alt@gmail.com or phone at (011) +233-260508908. Visit us on
www.facebook.com/ACCRAdotAlt to find out what we are up to next.

Mobile Number Portability in Ghana

2011-06-07T09:15:00.005+01:00

A few days ago, I was at another informative session of Mobile Monday (MoMo) held at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Center of Excellence (KACE). I was privileged to learn from experts in different sectors of ICT in Ghana. Among the presenters, Saquib Nazir of Porting Access Ghana (the company in charge of the Mobile Number Portability project in Ghana) made a presentation on MNP and answered dozens of questions on the topic afterwards.

Mobile Number Portability or MNP enables mobile users to switch from their current mobile network to other networks within the same country without losing their numbers. This means if a Vodafone customer used the number 020-1234567, he could switch to a MTN and access the new networks services without losing the number 020-1234567. This process is different from the number customization service introduced by Airtel, then Zain which only allowed you to customize the phone number whiles maintaining the networks number of 026. In Ghana the Minister of Communication some years ago announced the full implementation of MNP on 1st July 2011. No one really knows how consumers are going to react to MNP once it starts', Saquib confessed. During the MNP sessions I learnt a few things I would love to share with you;

The Process
After July 1st if you wanted to switch to a different network for whatever reason, you would have to physically walk into the new networks office and request a switch. A new registration procedure will be initiated to register you as a user of the new network, after which the new network will send a notification to the old network via Porting Access Ghana. You would have to purchase a new SIM and get rid of the old one from your previous network. Also, unless your new network decides to pay for the cost of switching, you may have to bear the cost yourself.

The process could take between 5 min to 24 hours. Your application for the switch may be declined if your previous network had blocked your number. This may be due to non-settlement of debt (especially in the case of Post-paid contracts).

Implications
Once your porting request is completed, all stake-holders databases' will be updated with the new information. All mobile services on the previous network including MTN Mobile Money, Tigo Cash and ZAP services will be terminated as you get access the services on your new network.

For developers in the mobile sector who have registered users to access a particular product, you would need to register such users again if they should port their numbers from one network to another. SMS sent to ported numbers may not be received unless they are registered again on their new networks. No one really knows how it will affect the industry we all are stake-holders of. Let's keep our fingers crossed and count down to 1st July 2011.

These are some issues you may want to think about, I encourage you to join me at the next Mobile Monday session in June.

CNN and Nokia Announce International Partnership

2011-06-06T09:00:00.002+01:00

CNN and Nokia today announced a multi-level international collaboration where Nokia becomes a key part of CNN's roster of mapping providers, delivering its rich mapping services to the international news network. The collaboration harnesses the companies’ strengths in global newsgathering, user-generated content, mapping technologies, and location-based services. The collaboration debuted with the use of Nokia’s 3D Maps across CNN’s platforms in its recent coverage of the British royal wedding.

"This collaboration is a great fit for us as both companies share a similar philosophy on connecting people beyond borders through the combination of compelling news content

and highly sophisticated technology,” said Tony Maddox, Managing Director, CNN International. “The international scale of each of our businesses makes the scope of the collaboration particularly exciting.” “Nokia and CNN share the belief that news is now mobile, powerfully democratic, and can immediately be shared by people around the world,” said Jerri DeVard, Chief Marketing Officer Nokia. “We are pleased that CNN wants to use Nokia’s innovative

mapping services for its international news platforms, and we are excited to work with CNN to deliver a compelling news service to users of Nokia phones.”

The collaboration also includes the CNN App for Nokia which provides mobile access to CNN's world, business, sport, entertainment and technology reporting, as well as live streaming video. The app also allows users to share CNN’s news via their own social channels, and participate in the reporting process with direct access to CNN's participatory news community, iReport. The CNN App for Nokia is available in Ovi Store.

About Nokia

At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks
globally.

About CNN

With its strong heritage of offering extensive coverage and analysis of international events and stories of global importance, CNN is the world’s leading global 24-hour news network celebrating more than 30 years at the forefront of delivering fast, accurate, impartial news to a global audience of more than 260 million households. With its global team of 4,000 news professionals based across 45 bureaux worldwide, CNN continues to invest in intelligent and compelling news, feature and documentary programming across its traditional and digital platforms. CNN’s service continues to evolve, embracing social media, encouraging user-generated content via its community site iReport and reaching its audiences in new and exciting ways. CNN can be accessed online and on mobile devices and its distribution outlets include airports, hotel rooms, cruise ships and syndicated news agencies.

Media Enquiries:
Osagie Ogunbor
Head of Communications, Nokia West Africa
Tel. +2348023125926
Email: osagie.ogunbor@nokia.com

CNN International PR
Tel: + 44 207 693 0662
Email: syreeta.clarke@turner.com

The revolution of the web hits Ghana

2011-06-04T11:45:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, Founder and technical director of Asilia wrote a blog post on Afri-Love.com in which he highlighted 5 reasons why Ghana is the next African app powerhouse. I couldn't agree with him more. One other reason I would want to add to his 5 points is, the obvious rise in interest in technology activities among Ghanaians.

Yesterday, I attended Web@2011 conference at the Kofi Annan Center of Excellence in Accra where I was given the opportunity to present on the topic Driving traffic to your website. I was amazed at the different sectors of life the participants came from. There were some folks from Education, Media, Marketing, Business and Health. This comes after the Online 2011 conference organised by the same organiser, Maximus of PopoutWeb in April where the same trend was observed.

Ghanaians are gradually beginning to realize, technology can help us improve our lives, thus the expression of interest in IT. Speakers who were present at the Web@2011 event included the 'Bill Gates of Ghana' -Herman Chinery-Hesse (Founder of the SoftTribe). Herman presented an informative session on how to create wealth on the World Wide Web. Thomas Hess (Founder of ExplainerDC) followed with his presentation on E-mail marketing using his product Rocketseed as a case study. Charles Hansen-Quao of DreamOval highlighted the need for a user friendly website. Charles presented the audience with some free online tools with which webmasters can improve and test the speed of websites.

After lunch, attendees got a live demonstration of the payment system developed by Sheila Bartels-Sam's InCharge. InCharge is really solving the online payment problem within the country, making it easier now for local merchants to accept payment for the services rendered. Africa's first i-phone game developer, Eyram Tawia (Founder, Leti Games) offered his perspective from the Gaming world, after which Michael Dakwa, Co-Founder of Nandimobile spoke on Content Development for the Web

NOKIA AND MTN GROUP SIGN A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

2011-05-23T21:51:00.002+01:00

Dubai & Johannesburg, 10 May, 2011- Nokia and MTN Group are pleased to announce signing of an agreement that will expand their strategic relationship to new key markets within Middle East and Africa MTN affiliates. The Framework agreement will permit the large community of MTN customers to benefit from the integration of Nokia devices and solutions.

Joint marketing and sales campaigns will be designed on a regional level and will bring consumers the latest Nokia mobile phones and smartphones, combined with value added services such as orientation and navigation tools, for seamless mobile communications while at work, home or on the go.

Building on previous success stories such as the joint launch of the Nokia C3 with MTN data and value add package in Nigeria, and the launch of the Nokia E7 and business tools for corporate clients in South Africa, the intention is to drive similar bundles, services and experiences in other MTN markets to add value to consumers.

The two companies will also collaborate to create hyper-local applications, such as Ovi Life Tools, which will soon be officially launched in Nigeria, bringing value to consumers through the provision of locally relevant data for farming, education and entertainment.

Mr Christian De Faria, Senior Vice President Commercial and Innovation MTN group
said, “Going to the market with a strategic partner like Nokia is of prime importance for our operations. We are convinced that our MTN customers will obtain immediate advantages for their cost effective and reliable communications thanks to a strong brand such as Nokia.”

Mr Chris Braam, Vice President for Nokia Middle East and Africa, added: “A strategic
partnership agreement with MTN Group brings us an additional opportunity to strengthen our existing relationships and bring a strong consumer proposition to other markets. We are committed to delivering outstanding communications technologies to the growing community of 141 million MTN subscribers in the whole of Middle East and Africa.”

ABOUT NOKIA

Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining advanced mobile technology with personalized services. More than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-optimized mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in virtually every market in the world. Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications store, a growing catalogue of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally.

ABOUT MTN GROUP
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 31 December 2010, MTN recorded 141, 6 million subscribers across its operations in
Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Visit us at www.mtn.com and www.mtnfootball.com

Media Enquiries:
Nokia
Delia Sieff
Email: delia.sieff@nokia.com

MTN
Maphamola Paul Lebelo
E-mail: lebelo_m@mtn.co.za
Tel: +2783 212 9918
ABOUT MTN GROUP

Which telecom company offers the Best Customer Service?

2011-04-20T01:14:00.008+01:00

Nandimobile is currently offering a customized version of it award winning Gripeline service to the organizers of the Ghana Telecom Summit 2011 for the purposes of collating votes for the telecom company in Ghana with the best customer service. The organizers of the summit will award the winner on the 29th April at a function in La Palm Hotel in Accra. Among the different categories, the Best Customer Service Category (bcsc) is the only one open to the general public.

The Ghana Telecom Summit Ghana ICT & Telecom Summit 2011 is designed to explore the critical business, service and technology strategies needed to ensure market competitiveness and exploit emerging opportunities for increased growth and profitability in Ghana ICT market. The main even will be held at the KACE-AITI on the 28th April.

From today, Nandimobile will announce the company leading in the voting, daily. Individuals can vote (ie. MTN, Expresso, Airtel, Tigo and Vodafone) by sending their choice to 1945 preceding with the keyword BCSC. Eg bcsc Safaricom to short code 1945.

Motherboard - I am from Ghana and I don't sell bags of water

2011-04-12T12:25:00.001+01:00

Anyone who has stayed in Ghana long enough will realize majority of Ghanaians and the authorities governing them are disgusted with the Sakawa problem just as much as any foreigner is. Sakawa is an off-shoot of what started as 'advance-fee fraud' or 419. This phenomenon has gradually grown into a lucrative engagement for some young people in Ghana. Advance fee fraud or 419 is reported to have originated from Nigeria and is gradually creeping into other parts of of the West African region.

It is obvious the Government of Ghana has made several attempts to nib this canker in the bud by putting measures in place. These measure I believe have gone a long way to reduce the prevalence of Sakawa. Because of the activities of these black sheep, Ghana has been blacklisted on several websites. We would therefore welcome any helping hands which intend to assist us in our crusade against the Sakawa culprits. Such assistance obviously doesn't include distorting facts and telling half-truth. In Thomas Morton's post on CNN, he created a couple of blunders. After reading his articles on CNN and motherboard.tv, it was still unclear to me what the writer wanted to achieve with that particular post.

Blunder 1

...there are dirt roads leading past the brand-new, gold-columned presidential palace, and it seems 1 percent of the country is blowing their country's GDP at bars with $50 cover charges while the other 99 is selling bags of water at stop lights

I doubt I'm part of the top percentile blowing Ghana's GDP, and I certainly am not selling bags of water at stop lights. This clearly means the author must have turned blind eyes to the many legitimate business men and women in the country who were in one way or the other contributing to the development of Ghana. Ghana is one of the most democratic nations in Africa, we have enjoyed a relatively stable political era since 1992. We have structures in place to ensure corrupt leaders don't squander the moneys raked in by the hard working workforce. Is the presidential palace really gold-columned? It is a bit weird a foreigner knows more about my country than I do!

Blunder 2

The Ghanaian government likes to boast that their unemployment rate is in the single digits ....The actual unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds hovers between 25 and 30 percent

Unemployment rate as we all may know is technical figure that represents not the number of people who are without jobs but rather the number of individuals who have been without job for a particular period of time, and have made or are making a conscious effort to find jobs within that period. For me therefore it is no wonder that governments everywhere in the world hide behind this definition to produce numbers that paint brighter pictures of their economy. If Ghana is a culprit then all countries round the world are too.

Blunder 3

Now, as we discovered when we went to Ghana with our video cameras, not only is Sakawa the country’s most popular youth activity and one of its biggest underground economies, it’s a full-blown national phenomenon

Sakawa is gradually becoming a problem we all need to devote our resources to if we intend to put a stop to it. It can say for a fact though that Sakawa is not the country's most popular activity in the country! I bet there are more Chelsea fans than Sakawa folks in Ghana.

Blunder 4

Just as I expected, the post missed a solution. Looks like Morton flew into the country, discovered this problem and left our shores without proposing a single solution. It is easy to identify problems, what is more difficult if coming up with solutions that can be implemented.

After watching the video and reading Morton's post several times, I still ask myself, 'did he intend to help us in our fight against credit card fraud or he only wanted to paint a black picture of a country which thrives to achieve excellence among its peers?'

By this post I would want to throw a welcoming hand to the writer and his team, to come up with suggestions that will rid Ghana of Sakawa. We hope for a better Ghana as much as all visitor do. We need all hands on deck!

Fostering Entrepreneurship through collaboration and technology

2011-04-11T22:23:00.000+01:00

BarCamp Kumasi 2011 is a networking event to bring people together for a day of discussion, demos and dialogue about Kumasi, Ghana and beyond. It will consist of user-generated sessions and discussions. BarCamp Kumasi 2011 will take place on April 16, 2011 at Royal Lamerta Hotel in Kumasi, Ghana. The theme is “Developing a hub for regional integration”. BarCamp Kumasi ’11 is a FREE event for anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Kumasi, Ghana and Africa as a whole.

The BarCamp Ghana team has successfully organized six BarCamps in Ghana. Barcamp Ghana is a project being run by the GhanaThink Foundation, an NGO based both in Ghana and the USA. A BarCamp is a user-generated conference (or unconference). Barcamp Kumasi 2010 was organized at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology on September 18, 2010 with the theme - ‘Collaboration: The key for opportunity and development’. It brought together about 80 residents with major discussions around “Fostering Entrepreneurship through collaboration and technology”, “Women Issues and the effects it has on Ghana's development”, and “Herbal medicine usage and adoption in Ghana: Success and failures” to name a few.

Register/RSVP today at the BarCamp Kumasi eventbrite website. You may also contact the BarCamp Kumasi team through this website for sponsorship opportunities. If you are interested in organizing a breakout session, let us know, especially if you have special needs.

BarCamp Kumasi 2010 is sponsored by Royal Lamerta Hotel, National Service Personnel of Ghana, National Society of Black Engineers (KNUST chapter), GhanaThink Foundation, Fienipa Group, etc. Our media partners are Kapital 97.1 FM, Focus 94.3 FM and ModernGhana.com.

Register at http://barcampkumasi11.eventbrite.com/
See you there!

Innovation Week 2011 - Marketing Innovation

2011-04-04T20:33:00.006+01:00

From March 28th to April 1st, the Ghana-India KOFI Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT organised the second Innovation Week under the theme 'Marketing Innovation'. This program sought to bring to the attention of the general public the various 'Facebook Entrepreneurs' who were in one way or the other making a difference in technology in Ghana.

The event gave many start-ups the platform to expose their innovations and inspired the other attendees who needed some motivation to start something on their own. I was privileged to represent my company, Nandimobile at the conference where I introduced Gripeline. Other entrepreneurs who spiced up the week included Esi Cleland of Afrochic, Nana Kwadwo Duah of Oxygen, Nana Kofi Acquah a pro photographer, Sefakor Gbewonyo of Sepha Designs, Nnenna of Nnenna.org and blogger MacJordan Degadjor. For me this event offered me the opportunity to learn a lot more from fellow entrepreneurs as well as share my views on various topics discussed.

I took much interest in the “father of the ring tone”, Ralph Simon's presentation. He inspired all attendees to look beyond the borders of Ghana and aim at achieving what is being achieved in more technologically advanced nations. According to him, the regional barriers we create an needless since technology knows no physical boundaries. Western markets can be accessed just as they accessed ours and those of other regions. I must congratulate Dorothy Gordon, Linda Kosi and the rest of the organizing team for putting together such an event. I hope more other stakeholders in Ghana's ICT development will learn from such initiative and provide more of these platforms for Ghana-made start-ups.

AlertGh mobile service launched in Ghana

2011-03-29T02:16:00.007+01:00

On Thursday last week, a new mobile alert service was launched by Esanoya. This launch comes at a time when many tech start-ups especially those in the Meltwater Incubator are gearing up to provide value added web and mobile services in Ghana. AlertGh is a mobile information service that allows subscribers to receive free alerts on their interest.

The service sends timely and relevant alerts for free. Such alerts include items on local and international news, health, sports, events, and entertainment. Esanoya is able to offer and sustain this service by offering an avenue for businesses to place targeted ads in the alerts. End-users end up benefiting from the information contained in the SMS alert, as well as from the targeted ads placed in the text messages by the sponsoring company. This SMS service seeks to provide benefits to all parties involved without violating the rights and privacies of end-users.

Users who are interested in this service can subscribe by SMS or by signing up on the AlertGh webpage.

For SPORTS fans: Text SPORTS, your Age, Sex (M or F) and the league (ENGLAND, ITALY, FRANCE, GERMANY, SPAIN or GHANA, or ALL) to 1945.

eg SPORTS 25 M ENGLAND

For NEWS fans: Text NEWS, your Age, Sex (M or F) and the news type (LOCAL, AFRICA, WORLD, BUSINESS or ALL) to 1945.

eg NEWS 24 M LOCAL

For other content types: Text JOIN, your age, sex (M or F) and content type (more available on the website) to 1945.

eg . JOIN 21 F Health

It is completely an 'opt in' service. Users can stop alerts by unsubscribing on the website or by simply sending “ OUT” to 1945.

One of the co-founders of Esanoya, expressed his enthusiasm and passion for this alert service.

“There's so much happening around that you sometimes get overwhelmed. When did this or that happen? You wish you heard or got to know of something that interests you an hour, a day or a week earlier. You wish you got only the relevant part of the information as soon as it happened. Fact is you hardly have enough time to watch television or listen to the radio and you don't carry them with you on the go. But you have the power right on you mobile phone. Esanoya gives you the freedom to receive alerts of your interest through text messages”

To start receiving alerts on your favorite topics, go ahead and sign up right now.

No merger between Nokia and Microsoft

2011-03-23T16:42:00.004Z

In February this year, Nokia announced a partnership with Microsoft. The partnership will allow Nokia adopt Windows as its primary platform for all of its smartphones. This decision became necessary after Nokia realized the competitive edge its rivals ,Google and Apple had over the Finnish company.

After this partnership, many people have speculated an acquisition or merger between the two giants. To clear the air, the CEO of Nokia, Stephen Elop speaking recently in Dubai during an interactice session with the media drawn across the Midddle East and Africa, came out to explain that no discussions of a merger have been initiated by either company.

According to Elop, the adoption of windows as the platform for Nokia’s smartphone strategy was a mutually beneficial relationship between Nokia and Microsoft. He maintained that the issue of merger or acquisition was never tabled for consideration by either of the parties. Stephen Elop also disclosed that Nokia was working round the clock to ensure that the first Nokia smartphone hits the market in the very near future.

Although Nokia intends to adopt the Windows platform for its smart phones, the company has not lost sight of the over 200 million Symbian market. Nokia’s huge market share in mobile phones is a good business case for mobile application developers to continue building innovative apps on symbian platform. Nokia's Chief Executive promised that Nokia would reward such disproportionate achievements with disproportionate investments.

Meltwater Start-ups at Launch Conference 2011

2011-03-15T01:38:00.008Z

The Meltwater Business Incubator officially opened in Sept 2010, and for almost all the start-ups in it, 2011 looked promising and challenging as well. We were excited to learn from management that we had been invited by Jason Calacanis, to be a part of Launch 2011 (formerly TechCrunch 50).

A great part of the Meltwater training program involves preparing the trainees for the global market and the culture of pitching one's idea to investors and other interested individuals either in an 'elevator pitch' style or with more detailed Powerpoint presentation. This opportunity was therefore a good one for us, since it offered us the chance to put into practice what had been learnt in the 2-year MEST training program.

At the Launch Conference that took place in San Francisco on Feb 23rd and 24th, 2011, Streemio, Retailtower and NandiMobile were the tech-companies from Africa rubbing shoulders with other start-ups from US, Europe and Asia. For some of us, that was our very first time in the US, nonetheless, we were prepared to deliver nothing but our very best. All three companies from the Meltwater incubator offered world class software and technologies that targeted different markets and focused on serving different customers;

Streemio is a mobile music streaming service providing on-demand access to music on the go.

Retail Tower provides software solutions to online retailers, allowing them to manage their inventory across multiple channels from one platform.

NandiMobile focuses on delivering technologies that enable businesses to leverage the high mobile penetration in Africa to provide better customer relationships.

At the conference we got the opportunity to present our business ideas to over 1,500 attendees, got very good feedback from experienced and successful software entrepreneurs and of course we didn't miss the opportunity to added more contacts to our every-growing network entrepreneurs.

In the end, NandiMobile got the opportunity to present its Gripeline service on stage after which the grand jury awarded the company with the ''Best Bussiness Award'' in the Launch Pad division. This is a success story we are glad to share with other tech-start-ups, from Africa especially. With this, we hope we have added more credence to what the founder and CEO of Meltwater, Jorn Lyseggen likes to say - ''With the right amount of support, guidance and encouragement, ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things”.

Entrepreneurship through Enterprise without Borders innitiative

2011-03-08T15:55:00.007Z

Enterprise without Borders (EwB) is a secondary school and/or college programme that teaches the value and importance of international trade and the practical skills necessary to do business across borders. This initiative seeks to introduce entrepreneurship and partnerships among young people Africa, Middle East, Europe and the United States of America. Ghana is one of the only two African nations partaking in this initiative made possible by Nokia and the Junior Achievement (JA).

The Enterprise without Borders (EwB) programme started in Ghana in 2009 and has so far reached over 200 students in the country across five regions. Kwabena Kugblenu, the EwB coordinator in Ghana revealed that 14 enterprises were successfully created in the 2009/2010 academic year. The goal for 2010/2011 is to impact more students with the support and mentorship Nokia. A website is created by teachers of the participating schools after which the students can upload their company profiles and enter an entrepreneurial 'dating game'. The aim is for students to share learning and business ideas; have the opportunity to sell each other's products in other markets; possibly reduce costs by sourcing components in other countries and also encouraging visits.

Half and Half Trade is a Norwegian enterprise created by students from the Lambertseter Secondary School in Oslo. They are in Ghana to primarily sign a joint venture agreement with a Ghanaian student enterprise GIANT LINK.

'Nokia is proud to be associated with the EwB initiative, which essentially promotes innovation and creativity among youths. He said the values being promoted among the youths through the Enterprise without Borders are in sync with Nokia values' - Head of Communications for Nokia West Africa, Osagie Ogunbor

With the introduction of such entrepreneurial initiatives, Ghanaian youth will soon be prepared to create businesses locally create jobs for themselves.

About Junior Achievement® (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 137 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.2 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.

Photo Credit : http://www.ewb.ja-ye.org/

Meltwater Foundation Startup Nandimobile Named “Best Business” at LAUNCH Conference

2011-03-08T12:53:00.003Z

ACCRA – March 7, 2011 – Nandimobile Ltd, a technology startup co-founded by three graduates of theMeltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), was granted the “Best Business” award at theLAUNCH Conference in San Francisco, where more than 100 startups from around the world presented and debuted their products and services.

Nandimobile, located in Accra, Ghana, provides mobile solutions for customer support and marketing. The company was founded in July 2010 by Edward Tagoe, Anne Amuzu and Michael Dakwa, and is supported by the Meltwater Foundation, which is funded by the Meltwater Group. Nandimobile’s on-demand Software as a Service suite, Nandiclient, arms businesses with tools for delivering customer support and information services to mobile phones of customers through SMS and WAP channels. The suite includes a customer support service, Gripeline, and a marketing service, Infoline.

“The judges thought Gripeline was elegant and solved a real problem,” said Jason Calacanis, founder of LAUNCH. “Every mobile phone has the ability to text, but not every restaurant or store has the ability to easily receive them. It was refreshing to see a solution that wasn’t based on a developer spending $75,000 to build an iPhone app that required five steps to use – not to mention a $1,500 commitment a year from consumers.”

“We are honored to receive this award and that we had the opportunity to showcase our product at the LAUNCH Conference,” said Anne Amuzu, chief executive officer of Nandimobile. “We are eager to continue to perfect our offering and build our customer base in Africa and internationally.”

“Sometimes people speak of SMS as a lesser platform but I actually think it’s the ideal platform for this service because it’s global,” said Chris Sacca, venture investor and company advisor to Nandimobile at the LAUNCH Conference. “I think people who have attempted this concept have made it too complicated with separate apps and platforms, and I think SMS is exactly the way to do it. Excellent.”

“Nandimobile’s recognition at last week’s LAUNCH Conference further exemplifies the talent and potential of MEST graduates,” said Jorn Lyseggen, CEO and founder of Meltwater Group. “Meltwater is proud to continue to support the ventures of young African entrepreneurs like Nandimobile.”

About MEST

The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology is a non-profit training and mentoring program created to help young Africans to become software entrepreneurs. Founded in 2008, MEST aims to provide its students with the skills required to establish software companies in the global marketplace and thereby creating jobs and wealth locally in Africa.

Students receive two years of fully sponsored training in software development, business fundamentals and entrepreneurship. MEST also administrates an incubator and a seed fund dedicated to help the MEST graduates convert their business ideas into viable companies in the global marketplace. The MEST program is fully funded by the Meltwater Foundation. For more information, please visit http://www.meltwater.org/

About Meltwater Foundation

The Meltwater Foundation is the non-profit arm of Meltwater Group. Since its start in January 2007, it has launched the MEST program (Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology) in Accra, Ghana, dedicated to the encouragement and training of budding African software entrepreneurs. The Meltwater Foundation is fully funded by the Meltwater Group. For more information, please visit http://www.meltwater.org/about/

About Meltwater Group

The Meltwater Group is a privately held software company founded in Norway in 2001, serving more than 18,000 clients through 55 offices located across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Meltwater is committed to challenging existing business models by introducing disruptive technologies.? The Meltwater Group delivers B2B solutions based on search engine technology, cloud computing and talent management software. For more information, please visit http://www.meltwater.com.

###

Contacts:

Amma Baffoe

Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology

+233 (0)20 201 4363

amma.baffoe@meltwater.org

Farida Bedwei - My pick for International Women's Day

2011-03-08T11:00:00.005Z

Farida Bedwei is the author of 'Definition of a Miracle'. This book recounts the story of an 8-year old girl’s struggle to cope with cerebral palsy in a community where people suffering with the disease are routinely misunderstood and viewed as incapable of contributing meaningfully to the society.

At age 1, Farida was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Despite this medical condition, she has excelled in her field of work as a software engineer. It is for this reason, I have decided to feature her as my pick for today's International Women's Day.

Below Farida shares her thoughts in an interview I had with her;

1. What has been your biggest dream?
My biggest dream as a writer is to win a Booker and a Pultzier. My biggest dream as a software engineer/ entrepreneur is to head the first Fortune 100 company in Ghana. My biggest dream as a Ghanaian woman with a disability is be able to change perceptions on disability in Ghana and Africa.

2. Would you describe yourself as a writer or as a programmer?
I would describe myself as a Software engineer with a natural flair for writing.

3. What is your book about and what motivated you to write it
The book is about contemporary Ghanaian society through the eyes of a disabled little girl. I wrote this book to change perceptions; perceptions about those of us in Ghana, Africa and other third world developing countries and, perceptions about persons with disabilities. We are much more than AIDS, Child-Soldiers, Hunger and Corruption and it is about time we made this known to all. It is time we told our own stories and changed the image the rest of the world has of our beautiful continent.

There are many who equate physical disabilities with mental disabilities, and mental disabilities with lack of intelligence. Both perceptions are wrong and must be erased from the mindset of society. I always say the reason people with physical disabilities are treated differently is because majority rules. If we were the majority, the able-bodied folks would be the ‘disabled’ ones because the world would be engineered to fit our needs instead of yours.

4. What is your advice to others with disabilities who have given up
When a part of your body doesn't function as it should, another part usually overcompensates for the 'damaged' part. Find that part and exploit it to the fullest. Don't sit at home and feel sorry for yourselves, it won't help you, it won't help me or other people with disabilities.

5. Do you think there is hope for the Ghanaian youth?
Yes I do. They just need to work hard and rise above the level of mediocrity, experimenting and moving outside the comfort zone of working in a bank/ for the government. We have enough bankers in Ghana, we need more creative minded people.

6. What would you say is the best moment in your life?
Taking my first step unaided at the age of 11, entering mainstream school for the first time at the age of 12, passing the BECE with flying colours, getting my first paycheck, getting my first degree, holding the first copy of my book, hearing a glowing review of my book at its launch by the Fmr. Register of the University of Ghana.

My thoughts - IEA hosts UK Minister for Africa

2011-02-23T23:16:00.013Z

Background

The UK Minister for Africa arrived in Ghana on February 17, 2011 for a two day visit. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) organized a session on the theme “Shared Prosperity, Shared Security and Shared Values: A Solid Foundation for the Future”, to which many high dignitaries were invited. Dignitaries on the high-table were the Vice-President John Mahama, the Minister for Environment, Science and technology, Hon. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Muhammad Mumuni, The British High Commissioner Peter Edwards Johns, and the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah with Prof Justice AKP Kludze, a senior fellow with the IEA acting as chairman of the occasion.

The Speeches

The programme started a little later than the expected time but when it finally did, I was impressed with the flow of information and the order of events. The chairman, opened the floor for the Vice-President to give a short speech which basically highlighted the nation’s willingness to keep and preserve the historical bond between Ghana and the United Kingdom. Mr. Mahama in his speech appealed to the British business community look for opportunities outside the United Kingdom despite the ebbing global recession.

After the Vice-president’s speech, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Minister gave his speech. In a speech that lasted for about fifteen minutes, Mr. Bellingham hammered many important issues affecting not only Ghana but Africa as well. Some of the major topics mentioned by Henry Bellingham included Climate Change, the Uk-Ghana partnership, President Obama’s visit to Ghana, drug trafficking and operation Westbridge, Intra-African Trade and the Ivorian crisis.

My thoughts

For me this two-hour programme put together by the IEA was very educative and provided me with lots of details regarding the Ghana-Uk partnership, which I guess I hadn’t bothered to look into. It also left me with lots of thoughts on my mind, and I simply could not stop asking myself what I could do to contribute to this noble cause as a citizen of Ghana. I left the building with a fair idea of what was expected of me as a citizen of Ghana.

Nonetheless I had one major questions at the back of my mind; would it not have been more beneficial to Ghana as a nation if more ‘ordinary’ people were allowed to be a part of this programme?

Minister Bellingham called upon all and sundry to be committed to good governance and kick the culture of corruption out of Ghana. I believe these messages would have had a greater impact if the UK Minister for Africa were to interact with the general public whose contributing efforts would be more effective towards this cause. Many a times, there is a blockade that prevents the free flow of information from its main source. Unless the IEA, the government of Ghana and the British High Commission engages the general public during such important occasions, these programmes will be seen by others as just another meeting of elites. The fight against corruption, the call for good governance and issues such as climate change are all subjects that needed the contribution of the ‘’masses’’.

My suggested therefore is that after the Henry Bellingham’s speech at the IEA, a few other lectures could have been held for civil societies, Universities and Colleges and organised associations in the country. This is the only way information can trickle down to the grassroots, else such calls for a better Ghana will only be heard by those in the upper tiers of the nation, and to them, this is a gospel they are privileged to hear everyday. If only more and more other people outside the usual circles could get the chance to be engaged in such developmental discussions, I believe a good number of Ghana’s population would be aware of what expectations are required of them in return for fruitful partnerships such as the Ghana-Uk one.

UK Minister for Africa visits Ghana - What does it mean to you!

2011-02-21T12:26:00.007Z

My interaction with a few people in Ghana revealed, not too many of us knew the United Kingdom had a Minister for Africa whose key duties among others is to improve and promote commercial and political ties between the UK and other African nations. This post is specifically composed to provide you with as much information as possible regarding the position and of course the personality supposed to be the 'God father of Africa in the UK'.

The UK Minister for Africa's position rests under the arms of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), commonly abbreviated as "Foreign Secretary", currently headed by William Hague the Foreign Secretary of State . The core objective of this Office is to promote the interests of the United Kingdom overseas. If you are in Africa the one you should familiarize yourself with is Henry Bellingham, the UK Minister for Africa.

Henry Bellingham was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 14 May 2010. The 55-year old Parliamentarian has been involved in UK parliamentary matters since his first election to the UK parliament in 1983. Henry Bellingham visited Ghana on February 17th and 18th after a short visit to Nigeria. He gave a speech at the Institute of Economic Affairs (I.E.A) on 18th February, a function I was privileged to attend. A full transcript of his speech can be obtained here.

The question now is , 'how can Ghanaians extract the full benefits of our long term relationship with the UK'? By ''Ghanaian people'', I mean the ordinary Ghanaian on the streets of this middle-income nation. Visits by such high dignitaries go unnoticed and to the ordinary Ghanaian it is just another meeting of politicians who discuss issues out of their concern.

A solution to this problem is to use all available channels to sensitize and inform the general public (at least those who care to know) when such issues of relevance are discussed in our own backyard. After all the Department for International Development (DFID) is about the masses and not just about the top-level local politicians. Spread the word and spread it as far as you can, the more Ghanaians know about the roles they have to play in such circumstances, the higher the likelihood of our nation attaining the goals we set for ourselves.

Minster Bellingham’s speech during his visit to Ghana

2011-02-21T05:52:00.002Z

I was previleged to be invited to listen to the UK Minister for Africa's speech at the Institute of Economic Affairs on Friday February 18th. Honorable Henry Bellingham spoke on the theme Shared prosperity shared security and shared values, a solid foundation for the future. Click on the link here to view and read a transcript of his speech. I would love to know what your thoughts are on the UK's vision for Africa.

Google, and the role of the Internet in Egypt

2011-02-09T23:26:00.004Z

Whenever there is a political unrest anywhere in the world, many commercial business stay as far away as they can. The Egyptian story is no exception. I am yet to hear of any company publicly siding with either divide. I guess when your revenues exceed $20billion you may not see things that way.

Google is undoubtedly the world's most successful internet company. One might think they would want to have absolutely nothing to do with the crisis in Egypt. Google's name has however come up in two different incidences. These make one wonder and ask, 'what does Google want in Egypt?'.

Google partnered twitter and SayNow (a company it acquired the week before) to allow Egyptians post their comments, feedback and frustrations online by calling a phone number (+16504194196 or +390662207294 or +97316199855) and leaving a voice-mail. These messages were then posted to twitter for the whole world to see and respond to.

Just a few days after this initiative. Wael Ghonim, a young Egyptian Google manager was arrested after playing a key role in using the internet to spark the uprising against Hosni Mubarak. His actions were hailed by the protesters. Wael Ghonim, who went missing on 27 January, was behind a highly influential Facebook page that helped lead to what he described as "the revolution of the youth of the internet''.

I believe these actions have played major roles in assisting the protesters send their messages across, no only within Egypt, but across the whole planet. I believe in the freedom of expression, I hope you do too!

This can never happen in Ghana

2011-02-07T19:12:00.000Z

Carlina White was abducted by Ann "Annugetta" Pettway in 1987. Pattway was so desperate for a child she decided to steal one from the hospital when the baby was just 19 days old. After 23 years the victim Carlina, through her own investigations found out she Pettway was't her mum. The circumstances that led to this discovery might have been very different Ghana had been the location. Did you ask why?

Carlina got suspicious because her fake mum, Pettway could not produce her birth certificate when she asked for it. Well, in Ghana, you can get a birth certificate in a day for almost anyone. This would not have been difficult for Pettway.

Also Carlina, looked into a database of lost missing babes categorized by date and location. It was from this website she resembled one of the babies reported missing in 1987. In Ghana, there is nothing such as a database for lost babies. No department has such a website, well , perhaps it's because no babies are stolen in Ghana.

One other major reason why I believe this incidence could have never happened in Ghana is the questioning of ones parentage. I am yet to meet any Ghanaian who has ever thought of questioning his/her parents relationship wit them.

Barcamp Ghana 2010 - A BarCamp with a difference

2011-02-07T07:14:00.000Z

After the successes of Barcamp Kumasi, Barcamp Accra and Barcamp Takoradi, the national event Barcamp Ghana 2010 was held on the 18th of December, 2010 at the Ashesi University campus.. Barcamp Ghana was under the theme ‘’Create dreams, work smart and shape the future” and it attracted a lot of entrepreneurs, businessmen, students, amongst others. The event was supported by Ashesi University, the World Bank, Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), Mobile Web Ghana, Google Ghana, Vodafone Ghana, GhanaThink Foundation, NandiMobile, Busy Internet, Fienipa, TAGH Media, iROKKO Concepts, Imagineers, MyfashionAfrica, etc. The media partners were CitiFm, Radio Universe, ModernGhana, GhanaBlogging and Skyy Digital.

Over 150 participants gathered at the Ashesi University premises to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The event unofficially started at 9:00am with the Start-up Bazaar and registration of participants running concurrently. Start-up Bazaar was premiered at Barcamp Accra held at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) campus and was popular with attendees there. This was a platform for start-ups to exhibit their products/service to the participants as well as network with other participating start-ups. The start-ups that took part in this session were TAGH Media, etc. There were also stands for Mozilla Firefox and Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST). Breakfast, provided by Imagineers Limited, was served.

At 10:00am, Barcamp Ghana officially commenced with opening remarks given by the Barcamp Ghana organizing team. The emcee was Kweku Anane-Appiah, a team member. Ato Ulzen-Appiah then spoke about the origins of Barcamp and the a brief history, mission and vision for Barcamp Ghana. For Barcamp Ghana 2010, there were no keynote speakers or panels and only breakout sessions. Patrick Awuah, the founder and president of Ashesi University, then gave a welcome address. Some of his soundbites included “There should come a time that citizens in Africa will not desire to migrate to Europe or the USA”. An agenda building session to map out the breakout sessions for the day followed.

The first set of breakout sessions were organized for 90 minutes from 11am. Citizen journalism versus Traditional Journalism was led by Bernard Avle - award-winning host of the CITI FM Breakfast show, Mac-Jordan Degadjor and Oluniyi David Ajao - popular bloggers based in Ghana. Issues discussed included Citizen journalism in its purest form is blogging, community radio as citizen journalism, regulation of blogging, 75% of Ghanaians having radios versus reading the newspapers and being online, local content and bloggers building their credibility, etc. Sherrie Thompson of Solutions Africa and Golda Addo of Energy Solutions Ghana led a session on green power and alternative energy. Biodiesel and biodigestion facilities were discussed as well as various forms of alternative energy.

Farida Bedwei of G-Life Financial Services, Afua Ankomah of Esoko and Daisy Amma Baffoe of MEST led the Women in ICT breakout session. Challenges with getting Ghanaian women to build applications and be in ICT were discussed. Attendees in the session decided to create a a “Women In ICT” Facebook page to take advantage of the many Ghanaian women on Facebook. Patrick Awuah, one of the most respected leaders in Ghana, also organized an impromptu session on leadership. Lunch followed, the food was provided by Imagineers Limited, which also provides food at Ashesi University’s Building 1. During lunch, Nana Manu of Vodafone Ghana gave a speech on e-commerce and building an accepted payment system for Ghana. He also talked about http://theideascout.com/.

The second set of panel sessions started after lunch. Leila Djansi, director of award-winning movies I Sing Of A Well and Sinking Sands, Deborah Ahenkorah of Golden Baobab, and Obed Sarpong of the Writers Project of Ghana led a session called ‘Telling African Stories’ on movies and writing in Ghana. Nana Awere Damoah, writer of Excursions in My Mind, also came by the session. Among issues discussed were defining the African story, animating Ananse stories, amongst others. It was decided upon to start a blog where African stories would be told.

There was a World Bank sponsored session about the Apps For Development Challenge. Richard Murby who is part of the organizers, did a Skype video conference with Barcamp Ghana attendees from Washington, DC. He did a presentation on the competition and attendees asked him questions. DK Osseo-Asare of AnamCity spoke about the Anam New City sustainable building/development project in Nigeria. Anam City is a new model for sustainable development in Africa. Kweku Anane-Appiah led a breakout session on fashion and wear in Africa. Ronke Ampiah and Farida Alabo of Smiles for Christmas led a session on volunteerism. Attendees decided to start a website for finding volunteer opportunities in Ghana.

The third set of breakout sessions rounded out the day at Barcamp Ghana 2010. Oluniyi David Ajao led a breakout session on blogging. Challenges facing bloggers like poor internet connectivity, creativity (presentation) and work schedule were discussed. Charles Odonkor, a medical student at Yale University, organized a breakout session on brain power called “Declaring the decade of the brain”. Farida Bedwei who has cerebral palsy but is a renowned software programmer in Ghana shared her story with participants in this session. Florence Toffa of Mobile Web Ghana and Kwamena Appiah-Kubi of Mozilla Firefox led a session on Mobile Web applications.

The event run smoothly and the attendees relished the Barcamp experience. They praised the good turn out, brainstorming involved and relevance of information shared. It was important for the discussions to be documented. A list of relevant tweets from the Barcamp will be online soon. Various action items and plans were discussed at the Barcamp and as they are implemented, will be publicized. More info from and about Barcamp Ghana 2010 will be available on the Barcamp Ghana website http://barcampghana.org.

3 reasons why I loved Online 2011

2011-02-02T22:19:00.004Z

On January 27th and 28th the Popout team, organised one of Ghana's most inspiring technology conferences at th Kofi Anna Center of Excellence. I must say I was very much impressed with the outcome of Online 2011. Kudos to Maximus Ametorgoh and his team of change-makers.

Online 2011 an innovative initiative to grow the business of technology in Ghana. It brought together successful IT companies as well as web and mobile start-up in Ghana. This offered us a platform to discuss common themes. I will remember Online 2011 for three main reasons;

1. Dorothy's advice

I got inspired by a speech given by Dorothy Gordon, the Director of AITI. In her informal address, she encouraged developers to look into the more developed arena and find out what elements can be borrowed to help developing nations like Ghana. She also went on to introduce the audience to the Word-Summit Awards competition and encouraged us all to apply.

2. A market of ideas

Launch conference provided opportunity to lots of start-ups in the software and IT sector to expose their talents as well as their services and products. I got the chance to listen to young individuals from DreamOval, LetiGames, Platinum Technologies, Esoko and so many other interesting companies. For me, listening to these persons heightened my passion and hunger for greater goals.

3. Ghana's online payment problem got solved

Sheila, CEO of Platinum Technologies, at the conference provided all attendees with her company's cool InCharge card. With this card individuals in the country could make purchases online and also allowed merchants sell goods and services on their website. I came out of the conference knowing the Ghanaian software entrepreneurs' biggest headache will be resolved in the shortest possible time.

Mest is recruiting - Join Global Software Entrepreneurs

2011-02-01T10:49:00.004Z

Do you want to start your own global software company? The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) is training and developing the next generation of global software entrepreneurs from Ghana. Our goal is to create wealth and jobs locally in Ghana by training and mentoring graduates to start their own software companies that will compete successfully in the global marketplace. It is our hope that these software entrepreneurs will inspire generations to

follow in their footsteps.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A two year FULL SCHOLARSHIP program focused on market-oriented software development and practical entrepreneurship training. Our goal is to provide you with the practical skills and resources you need to start a company that can compete in the global market space.

• A full time in-house training in commercial software development and entrepreneurship within an international environment; an international faculty with over 20 years experience in software development and international business. Details on the training content are available at: http://www.meltwater.org/program/training/

• Housing, tuition fees, meals and study materials provided to trainees

• Opportunity to join the MEST Incubator, where start-up companies receive seed funding, office space and mentoring to get their companies started.

WHO CAN APPLY?

• Applicants can be university graduates or final year students completing school by July 2011.

• Prior knowledge in computer science or programming is not a requirement.

• Applicants should have a 1st degree / HND / Diploma from any background, but must have the interest and passion to start their own software company.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Applicants should have the passion to start their own software company, an interest in technology / computers, confidence to take risks, drive / stamina, team player skills, strong communication skills, personality & humour, entrepreneurial spirit.

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply to the MEST program, please follow this link:

http://www.meltwater.org/admissions/submit-application/

You can also forward this message to friends and colleagues who have expressed such interests.

Deadline for application: 17th April 2011

For further questions and comments please contact us at:

Mobile: 020 201 4363

E-mail: info.mest@meltwater.org

Website: www.meltwater.org

Another reason to take blogging seriously

2011-01-25T16:23:00.010Z

Some weeks ago my attention was drawn to an interview on BBC. BBC's Jonathan Frewin was interviewing Jason Calacanis, one of the first people to commercialize blogging. I was particularly interested in this interview because of how Jason sold his blogs just after 18months for an amount of $35million.

Jason together with a partner founded Weblog, a network of blogs. The success of this project perhaps should motivate bloggers all over the world (including me) to take blogging more seriously, who knows, something fruitful might come out of it one day. Start a blog today and do well to join the Ghana bloggers association to get more inspiration.

He believes in surrounding himself with eager young people who want to make it big. Jason is currently angel investing in start-ups in the US .

Credit: Picture was taken from technorati.com

PYTHON AFRICAN TOUR COMES TO GHANA

2011-01-06T19:20:00.002Z

Python African Tour (PAT) is an exciting African open source technology initiative aimed at promoting agile programming languages, mainly Python, among Africa's tech communities. The Tour, which has successfully been executed in Senegal, Nigeria and Morocco is run by a group of nomadic volunteer Python developers and evangelists, backed by the generous contributions of various organisations and individuals. With the support of Ashesi University College, Ghana Google Technology User Group (Ghana GTUG), local developers, entrepreneurs, bloggers and open source fans, the PAT train will make a stop in Accra Ghana from 18th to 22nd January, 2010 at the Ashesi University College Campus.

The tour was highly successful in the three countries where it has been held so far, and this has greatly increased interest in Python as a programming language to be reckoned with. The overall goal is to boost development in Africa through Python and allied technologies; this will be achieved by empowering young Ghanaian students, developers and entrepreneurs with quality skills to tackle local problems. It is also the objective of the Tour to inspire and build conversations among local developers, creating an ecosystem of cooperation, idea-sharing, collaboration and creativity.

Python African Tour takes a different approach from other tech-related conferences that have been held in Ghana due to its focus on hands-on Python training and skills transfer, an opportunity local developers have been yearning for. The training format adopted is particularly suited for people who have already started Python programming or at least know how to program in another language. The tentative agenda is as follows:

Day 1: Introduction to Python

Day 2: Introduction to Django Web Framework

Day 3: Python for scientists (based on demand)

Day 4: Python Sprint/Hackathon

Day 5: Python Sprint/Hackathon

Such a well-orchestrated training regimen is focused on developing a problem-solving approach to programming among attendees. The experience and expertise of the international team of trainers drawn from the PAT, Ghana GTUG and Hutspace will guide the participants to come out more quality and useful apps, some of which would have business potential.

Ashesi University College, Python Software Foundation and Hutspace are proud sponsors of the tour. There are sponsorship opportunites available for workshop sponsorship, hackathon sponsorship and individual sponsorship. Contact the PAT team and get your organisation to be part of this exciting initiative.

To participate in the Python African Tour (PAT) Ghana workshop, please fill out the registration form at the PAT website now. If you are interested in sponsoring, supporting the training team or helping out in any way, please send an email to patghana@gmail.com.

See you there!

Ghana 2010 - my top 10 memories

2010-12-31T15:32:00.005Z

2010 to me has been a fruitful year, I look forward to a more aggressive 2010. I usually don't stick to my New Year's resolutions, so I won't make any for next year. I however have some memories of 2010 I want to share with everyone, especially my readers in Ghana.

1. The earthquake wake-up call

In January 2010, I received a call at dawn from a family member warning me of an impending earthquake. I was advised to get out of bed run to a safer haven. I got out of the building and was amazed to realize there were dozens of others who had received similar alerts. Apparently it was a hoax! Someone, somewhere had fooled a good number of Ghanaians and believe it or not, it worked. Days later the government authorized the national security agency to look into this matter. It's been close to a year, they are yet to reveal their findings.

2. Pigs came to our shores
In April there was lots of 'fear and panic' when the Ghana Health Service (GHS) warned Ghanaians that H1N1 (Not Swine flu) had infected three persons. Not too long after the announcement, the situation was brought under control and I guess that was the last we heard of the pigs. Bravo to all health professionals.

3. Ghana takes a head-count, I was left out
This year in October the Ghana Statistical Service conducted a Population and Housing Census. The exercise which was scheduled to take two weeks ended up taking longer than that. Personally I think the service could have done a better job. Many enumerators, weeks after the activity complain of non-payment of their stipend. To me this certainly didnt look like a GHc 70 million exercise.

4. The rains came again; Accra got flooded..again!
During the rainy season, some parts of the country especially the Northern regions and the capital, Accra experienced torrential rainfall. Lives and property were lost, and NADMO could only do as much as their resources could allow.

5. South Africa shames critics, Asamoah Gyan disappoints Africa
In June-July South Africa, proved its critics wrong by staging a very colorful and memorable World Cup. This was the very first time an African nation had organised a world cup event, I just hope it wont be the last. Africa got another opportunity to make a mark by qualifying for the semi-finals of the competition for the first time. However Asamoah Gyan, Ghana's number 1 striker, broke the continent's heart by missing the penalty kick that could have made us champions of the competition.

6. Ghanaian miners go down as Chilean miners came up
About 50 Galamsey operators in June got swallowed by the earth as their were busily engaging in the 'illegal' mining activities. No one in the team survived. I was surprised when I heard that people in the area believed this was an act of the gods as a way of increasing the quantity of gold. No wonder they didnt bother to rescue victims.

7. Nigeria's Independence was a bomb....really it was a bomb!
Nigeria celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2010. President Goodluck run out of luck when when two bombs exploded at the event in Abuja on October 1st. Nigerian insurgents were believed to be behind the attack.

8. Ghana attained middle income status, lower division
With a GDP of GHC 44.8 billion, statisticians thought it was time we started calling ourselves a middle income nation. So one morning we woke up and we put on our new tag, nothing else changed, only the figures in the books did.

9. EOCO knocks on GFA's doors, FIFA bares its teeth
In November, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) one morning raided the Ghana Football Association Offices and seized files, hard drives and other documents. They smelled corruption! Fifa issued a 'soft' warning to Ghana advising the football-loving nation to refrain from interfering in the FA's affairs.

10. Professor lets the Oil flow. Warns us not to expect anything spectacular
On December 17th, President Mills turned the wheels for the official production of oil in commercial quantity on board the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Kwame Nkrumah vessel. This was a very memorable event. Many Ghanaians watched the event live on national television, others streamed it online and a handful followed reports of twitter. At last Ghana now produces oil in commercial quantities. Ghanaians were however warned to manage their expectations, the oil wont change much they said, at least not immediately. I found that to be a very sincere statement. I just wished the sincerity had started long ago.

Julian Assange - the Robin Hood of our time

2010-12-20T10:14:00.003Z

The post below is a guest blog post by Kwaku Kyei Manu who blogs at lemonlifelemonade.blogspot.com

Wikileaks, the sujet du jour, grabbing headline banners on every form of printed and digital media one can see. The tabloids, local authorities, even the white house has been rocked by the revelations of this site. Some call them cyber terrorists, others label them as anarchists. Personally, I see them as modern day Merry Men led by the modern version of Robin Hood aka Julian Assange. They have once again taken the steps so many revolutionaries have and opened the floodgates and gotten people to question the authorities.

The twittersphere is ablaze with Wikileaks fever. Questions and theories are aplenty, and many are celebrating. Many question the validity of the information. All I can say, however is, the validity of the information is irrelevant, for this group of free thinkers, who volunteer their time to keep this site running have started a tide of change and indeed have stuck true to their mission statement;

"To radically shift regime behaviour we must think clearly and boldly for if we have learned anything, it is that regimes do not want to be changed. We must think beyond those who have gone before us and discover technological changes that embolden us with ways to act in which our forebears could not."[39][40][41] In his blog he wrote, "the more secretive or unjust an organisation is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. ...”

Their exposés have left all organisations quaking in their boots, as rightly stated, in the short time they have been operating, they have shed light on more factual information than all the world press combined. In the midst of corporation-owned press only interested in shifting newspapers and making profit, they have gone back to the basics of journalism to report cold hard facts. No more speculation, no more murky details. This threat has been registered and all attempts are being made to blow out this beacon of truth. Wikileaks is the antihero in this media run world we live in. Viva la résistance, I say!

Whether they like it or not Wikileaks is here to stay, and should they shut it down, another incarnation is sure to rise. The sheer notorietythis site has earned itself will ensure it has supporters. I for one look forward to its future releases with glee.

Who will watch the watchman?

2010-12-13T17:07:00.000Z

The Wikileaks Paradox

2010-12-13T07:37:00.006Z

In the past couple of weeks Wikileaks has been in the news, I am still wondering why it is not trending on twitter anyway. I guess it is not the most important thing on the minds of the online citizens. I have read widely on this matter with one objective - to find out if Wikileaks is right or wrong. I must admit I haven't gotten to that conclusion yet. I however came by one major point I found interesting and wouldn't mind sharing with you.

For a media organisation that is based on the principles of the defence of freedom of speech and media publishing, the improvement of our common historical record and the support of the rights of all people to create new history, I would have expected them to be open with their information as well. Wikileaks accepts (but does not solicit for) documents from anyone who would wants to leak information. The documents are then taken through a thorough process of verification before released into the public domain.

My only problem is that Wikileaks sees it fit to keep the source of all leaked information anonymous and till date it has kept the security details of its electronic drop box secret. If Wikileaks believes for the sake of continuity of its process and the safety of its partners such information should be kept secret, why are they publishing the documents of other organisations then. The question is who has the right to tell what parts of documents should be kept secret or otherwise? If Wikileaks believes in Freedom of Information, I would challenge them to live by this pillar. Sources of documents and other media resources received should be revealed, together with a full description of its security algorithm behind the existence of it electronic drop box. If they find this difficult to do, I dare say then that Wikileaks has no moral right to reveal or publish what others have kept secret.

Barcamp Ghana 2010

2010-12-07T11:06:00.002Z

BarCamp Ghana 2010, an ad-hoc gathering where attendees meet for discussions, demos and networking, will take place on December 18 2010 at the Ashesi University campus in Accra. The theme is “Create dreams, work smart and shape the future”. Following the successes of BarCamp Ghana '08 and BarCamp Ghana '09, regional BarCamp events were organized in Kumasi, Accra and Takoradi and Barcamp Ghana 2010 will crown the year as the national event.

BarCamps all over the world have brought together individuals and organizations to collaborate on various projects and businesses. BarCamp Ghana’10 is a FREE event for anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Ghana and Africa as a whole. This year, the focus is on telling stories and discussing ways of how entrepreneurs and businessmen can create wealth in a burgeoning Accra metropolis faced with a myriad of challenges.

Unusually, the pivot of this year’s event revolves around breakout sessions instead of the usual mix of discussions and expert panelist presentations - regardless, experts will be seated in each breakout discussion to facilitate the coherence of relevant facts and knowledge on all respective items for deliberation. This strategy was inspired by the desired outcome of this year’s gathering which is to stimulate an engaging conference between industry stakeholders, consumers and prospective entrepreneurs on the workings and current realities of industries and services in Ghana.

Impressive yet poignant is our bill of facilitating experts, all of which effect the changes and growing definition of their industries worth and direction in this era. Our confirmed list includes

Bernard Avle of CITI 07.3 FM,
Leila Djansi of Turning Point Pictures,
Oluniyi Ajao of Web4Africa,
Solomon Adu-Atefoe of Agric Development Bank,
Golda Addo of Energy Solutions Foundation,
Mohamed Amin Adam of Publish What You Pay,
Philip Gamey of Web & Software,
DK Osseo-Asare of Anamcity,
Paul Tenejou of ROI-MOB-Lang,
Ronke Ampiah of Smiles for Christmas

Register or RSVP your participation today at the BarCamp Ghana Eventbrite website. You may also contact the BarCamp Ghana team through the Eventbrite website for sponsorship opportunities. Also, If you are interested in proposing a breakout session, let us know, especially if you have special needs.

BarCamp Ghana 2010 is proudly sponsored by the Ashesi University, Vodafone Ghana, Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) , GhanaThink Foundation,Google, Web Foundation, Fie.nipa, NandiMobile. Our media partners are CITI FM, Radio Univers,ModernGhana, GhanaBlogging, Sunlight Radio America, The New Ghanaian, and Skyy Digital. The customer support hotline is 020-1500033. You can send questions, comments, and feedback by SMS and get responses.

See you there!

http://barcampghana10.eventbrite.com/
http://barcampghana.org/

Barcamp Ghana 2010 comes to Ashesi this December

2010-12-04T20:25:00.005Z

After three successful regional events the Barcamp Ghana organizing team is bringing the long-awaited Barcamp Ghana 2010 under the theme 'Create dreams, work smart and shape the future'. This year's Barcamp Ghana will take place at Ashesi University College on the 18th December 2010.

All Regional Barcamps have been impressive, the national one will be a blast
In 2010, three different regional Barcamp events were organised across the country. This was in response to feedback received after Barcamp Ghana 2009 held at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST).

The 18th of September, 2010 saw the first ever regional Barcamp event: Barcamp Kumasi at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Barcamp Kumasi sought to bring together natives and residents of Kumasi to discuss, share ideas and network in the effort to stimulate development in the township. The theme was "Collaboration: The Key for Opportunity and Development".

BarCampAccra 2010, took place on October 2nd, 2010 at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) campus at 20 Aluguntuguntu Street in East Legon, Accra. The theme is be “Creating wealth and employment in a challenging environment”.

BarCamp Takoradi 2010 was held at the Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI) campus in Takoradi, Ghana on November 27, 2010. The theme will be “Leading & Entreprising in an Oil & Technology Fuelled Economy”. BarCamp Takoradi built on the success of Ghanaian BarCamp events to ignite Sekondi/Takoradi & Western Region's focused discussions and actions in order to bring about much-needed change.

On December 18th Barcamp Ghana will bring on board many of Ghana's industry leaders to open up their sectors from their perspectives. Attendees will have the privilege of sitting in the same break-out sessions with these mentors and discuss issues pertaining to the industries on board. Barcamp Ghana is a free event, you can register on the eventbrite page.

All Barcamps have been organised by GhanaThink, an Africa-focused think-tank that seeks to mobilize and deploy African diasporean talent for the primary benefit of Ghana, and consequently of Africa and the whole world.

Google Trader launched in Ghana

2010-12-04T15:00:00.004Z

Just a few weeks after Google Ghana launched its innovative Q&A service, Google Baraza, the online search giant has launched its Mobile and Web trading service, Google Trader in Ghana. As from Thursday 2nd December, Ghanaians can buy and sell their goods and service using Google Trader.

Google Trader provides two ways by which you can buy or sell items. You can use your computer or phone to visit the Google Trader website where you can put your item up for sale. You can search for items on your computer, on your phone and via SMS. You can search for items in two ways. If you know the broad category of item that you are interested in, for example, electronics, then simply click on the Electronics link to see all items posted under that category. You can also enter in words in the search box at the top of the screen and press Search Trader to search for items that contain those words.

Alternatively you can do same via SMS just by testing START to 6007.You can also search for items by sending a text message to the number 6007. This message must start with the word BUY, followed by the words that you would like to search for. For example, to search for electronics, you would send BUY electronics to 6007. To search for used Toyotas for sale, you might send BUY toyota to 6007.

Google Trader was first launched in Uganda, making Ghana the second country in Africa to benefit from this service. Visit the Service's help page for more information on Google Trader.

Three things you can do to create HIV/AIDS awareness

2010-12-01T16:12:00.005Z

Today is the first day of December, not only is it the very first day in the Christmas month, it is World Aids Day as well. People from different walks of life are creating HIV/AIDS awareness in their own small way. Below are three suggestion you can consider if you would want to join the campaign.

Tell someone what you know about HIV/AIDS

Twitter and other social platforms have been busy today with thousands of tweets and hundreds of status updates supporting the fight against this pandemic. I am sure you have a Facebook account and perhaps you are on twitter. You can tweet or retweet the many HIV tweets going round within your network. You can also add an HIV red ribbon on your avatar or Facebook profile picture by visiting twibbon. It wont take you more than a minute (that is if you have stable Internet!). Join the fight against stigmatization!

Take an HIV/AIDS test

Have you taken an HIV/AIDS test before? Why don't you take a test today? I found out from a friend that Noguchi Memorial offers free counselling and testing services every Wednesday and Saturday. If only we all knew our HIV statuses, I doubt we would engage in certain activities. You can get directions to Noguchi here.

Abstain, stop the spread!

Stay away from sex...at least just for today! If that will be difficult for you to bear, then why don't you use protection to avoid the risk of being infected or transmitting the virus to your partner.

Today is World/AIDS day, tell someone!

Mobile Entrepreneurs in Africa

2010-11-30T09:36:00.006Z

Mobile Entrepreneurs in Africa is a project initiated by the Mobile Web Ghana. From February 2011 Mobile Web Ghana will recruit and train local entrepreneurs to develop mobile phone applications that would be relevant to the local communities in Ghana. Mobile Web Ghana is an organisation founded by the World Wide Web Foundation, created by Tim Berners-Lee, the man who invented the web twenty years ago. Vodafone has committed to fund 3 years of initial work. Any institution willing to support this project can get involved by contacting the Web Foundation.

Photo from web Foundation website

I was at a the Foundation's event on Saturday 27th November at the Kofi Annan Center of Excellence where Max Froumentin the Program Manager demonstrated how the training program will be and some of the applications that would be developed. Together with the Project Cordinator, Florence Toffa, he answered questions posed by the attendees. The training programme will be in two parts; the Business aspect and the Technical aspect. Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply in teams and must have some proficiency in technology and programming. Business knowledge is however not required for the Business Module.

This is an initiative that seeks to empower software entrepreneurs in mobile development as well as provide them with the necessary skills that will help such individuals monetize the value the provide.

Barcamp Takoradi 2010

2010-11-09T14:18:00.004Z

BarCamp Takoradi 2010, an ad-hoc gathering where attendees will meet for discussions, demos and networking, will take place on November 27, 2010 at the Takoradi Technical Institute campus in Takoradi, Ghana. The theme will be “Leading & Entreprising in an Oil & Technology Fuelled Economy”. BarCamp Takoradi is building on the success of Ghanaian BarCamp events to ignite Sekondi/Takoradi & Western Region's focused discussions and actions in order to bring about much-needed change.

The BarCamp Ghana team which is convened under the GhanaThink Foundation has successfully organized four BarCamps in Ghana. Barcamp Ghana 2008 at the Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in IT (KACE-AITI) on December 22, 2008; Barcamp Ghana 2009 at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology in East Legon in Accra on December 21, 2009; Barcamp Kumasi 2010 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology on September 18, 2010 and BarCamp Accra 2010 at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology in East Legon in Accra on October 2, 2010. The events have brought together over a thousand leaders and change makers.

Barcamp Takoradi’s goals include facilitating organic networking and help attendees identify business partners for future projects and ventures. It will also offer local businessmen and women the chance to promote and get feedback on their entreprises and ventures. It will also help build a local community and network of entrepreneurs, leaders and businessmen after the Barcamp. The Barcamp will also identify business opportunities in the oil and gas industry and attendant opportunities for a growing local economy.

BarCamps all over the world have brought together individuals and organizations to collaborate on various projects and businesses. BarCamp Takoradi ’10 is a FREE event for anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Ghana and Africa as a whole. This year, the focus is on discussing how important collaboration between different industries, business, academia and public institutions is key for opportunity and development.

The speakers will include Nana Kobina Nketsia, Wilson Arthur, Amos Anyimadu, amongst others. If interested in running a breakout session or promoting a business or venture, contact the organizing team through this website. If you are interested in organizing a breakout session, let us know, especially if you have special needs.

Register/RSVP today at the BarCamp Takoradi eventbrite website. You may also contact the BarCamp Takoradi team through this website for sponsorship opportunities. BarCamp Takoradi 2010 is sponsored by the Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), Google Ghana,GhanaThink Foundation, Fie.nipa, etc.

See you there!

ALL YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE INTERNET SAFETY, SECURITY & PRIVACY (ISSP) CONVENTION IN GHANA

2010-11-01T18:33:00.003Z

Information Communication Technology has fostered the development of several economies across the world. Ghana has the ability to speed up her economic development by competing for a market share in today’s e-business which includes about $500 billion global outsourcing market, currently dominated by India and China. Ghana is ranked number one in Africa and 9th in the world in implementing business reforms . She is also the 15th most competitive outsourcing destination . The paradox of this promising competitive position of Ghana is also her high ranking in one of society’s most recent canker of cyber-crime, placing 2nd in Africa and 7th in the world’s most notable internet fraud countries .

The Internet Safety, Security and Privacy (ISSP) convention is being implemented by Global Platform Foundation (GPF)—a start-up non-profit organisation in Ghana—with support from Microsoft Anglophone West-Africa. It is a two day event to be held from Thursday 4th—Friday 5th November 2010. GPF is an all volunteer network dedicated to helping non-profits, foundations and other philanthropic entities as well as corporation's and other private individuals and donors capture, use, and share information in ways that will amplify the impact of their philanthropic practices.

At GPF, we believe the long journey to discover and understand the power and potential of technology has only just begun. The use of technology to achieve social impact, whether positive or negative, will only increase in the coming years. Today’s social and environmental, as well as economic problems increasingly cross conventional issue and geographic boundaries, and making systemic progress on these complex problems will require us to connect and coordinate our efforts across traditional borders, sectors and organisations. No one individual or an organisation—not even the largest of governments, corporations, or foundations—will be able to move the needle on many of these problems on their own. Achieving a meaningful change will often require working with a network mindset.

The ISSP convention is a platform for engaging and bringing together multiple stakeholders into highlighting the effects of cyber-crime, as well as, developing a mitigating strategy that would be implemented hereafter, having garnered support and commitment from all involved.

In implementing the ISSP, GPF is adopting a traditional approach towards research: a scan of the literature, interviews with thought leaders, a convening, etc. to develop a baseline understanding of the operations, networks, behavioural patterns, and more clearly define our area of interest—that is cyber-crime. These findings and proposed solutions will be the focus of the activities on event day one.

GPF is embracing three basic rules in the formation of partnerships that will be involved in the implementation of the ISSP: to have a promise, a tool, and a bargain. “The promise is the basic ‘why’ for anyone to join or contribute to the initiative. The tool helps with the ‘how’—how will the difficulties of coordination be overcome, or at least be held to manageable levels? And the bargain sets the rules of the road: if you are interested in the promise and adopt the tools, what can you expect and what will be expected of you? This will be the crux of the prevailing issues of the second day’s event.

The ISSP itself is more like an event that has already happened. There has been lots of dialogue and efforts are being made on finding and implementing solutions to stall and halt this social and economic problem. The question now is how these solutions move from the periphery to the mainstream—from novel experiments to common place ways of getting things done. What does it take to adopt and spread a new mindset? In this case, finding and sustaining a workable widespread and supported solution.

Google launches Baraza in Africa

2010-10-26T16:45:00.003+01:00

Google launched Baraza, its Question and Answer online service yesterday 25th October. Baraza which means 'council' or 'task force' in Swahili is a question and answer service that will also be integrated into search results on Google Search. I had the previledge of testing Bazara a few days before it was launched in Africa. Personally commend Google for incorporating a reward and punishment scheme into the service. On Google Baraza, individuals are rewarded with points or reputation when they perform certain positively on Baraza.

African's with access to the Internet can now pose their questions online and receive answers from the Baraza community within a few hours depending on the complexity of the question. Since the service is targetted towards the African population, most of the questions are African related.Baraza is available in 40 countries across Africa. Local domains of the service have been set up in South Africa, Cameroon, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast and many other countries. With the Baraza, Google hopes to get more Africans online with this service.

Google Ghana has partnered Databank and BusyInternet to make Baraza more popular in the country.BusyInternet, with three branches in Accra and Tema will open its doors to Baraza users for free during Drive Time on Joy on Wednesday between 3pm and 6pm.This will be followed by an exclusive event at the Kofi Annan Center of Escellence KACE where Estelle, the Google Ghana Country Lead will meet bloggers in Ghana.

To join the rest of Africa on Google Baraza, please go to google.com.gh/baraza

Making education a priority in Ghana....when?

2010-10-21T18:09:00.007+01:00

Education undoubtedly is key to Africa's problems. If third world nations like Ghana are truly willing to see themselves out of poverty in years to come, they would need to pay more attention to the challenges faced in its education sector.

This half of the year in particular, Ghana has been faced with a list of challenges as far as its education is concerned;

University and Polytechnic lecturers were compelled to go on strike (after so many formal attempts) as a way of pushing for better conditions of service.
Parents of first year senior high students were asked to pay extra for accommodation because there weren't enough furniture for boarding and lodging purposes. The unfortunate ones now have to travel miles from home to school.
The one laptop per child initiative had to be called off because of lack of electricity in certain areas.
There still is a good number of schools in Ghana that teach pupils under trees.
Students loans are yet to be disbursed by the students' loan trust.

With these problems staring at us in the face, we still spend money on other areas that will help the country in no way. As a country we have a duty to provide the best education to our future leaders if we do see education as a priority.

Blog Action Day - For a better Earth

2010-10-15T17:22:00.000+01:00

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Blog Action Day - MoneyGram quenches Asuboi's thirst

2010-10-15T10:56:00.005+01:00

Today is Blog Action Day

A few days ago Joyfm reported the invasion of black flies in Asuboi a farming community in the Ashanti Region. It was reported this outbreak had infected seventy percent of the population.

This morning, I was pleased to hear MoneyGram is sponsoring the drilling of two bore-hole in the affected community. The project is in partnership with H20 Solutions to help the situation before it gets out of hand.

Clean and potable water is a very important utility in the lives of humans. I therefore hail MoneyGram's act of philanthropy in this regard. I implore many other organisations to follow suit and help Ghana in any way they can as part of their corporate social responsibilities.

Barcamp Accra 2010 Press Release

2010-09-08T20:02:00.004+01:00

BarCampAccra 2010, ad-hoc gathering where attendees meet for discussions, demos and
networking, will take place on October 2nd, 2010 at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) campus at 20 Aluguntuguntu Street in East Legon, Accra. The theme is be “Creating wealth and employment in a challenging environment”. Following the successes of BarCamp Ghana '08 and BarCamp Ghana '09, regional BarCamp events will be organized in selected regions in Ghana to enable as many people as possible partake in BarCamps before the main national event in December.

On December 22, 2008, over a hundred young Ghanaians met in Accra for BarCamp Ghana
'08 to exchange ideas on entrepreneurship, innovation and development for a rising
Ghana.BarCamp Ghana '09 followed on December 21, 2009, in Accra, under the theme
"Leadership for our times - cultivating change makers". BarCamp Accra 2010 will bring
together stakeholders in Accra to for a day of dialogue, demos and discussions about how to navigate the challenges of doing business and building ventures in Accra.

BarCamps all over the world have brought together individuals and organizations to
collaborate on various projects and businesses. BarCamp Accra ’10 is a FREE event for
anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Ghana and Africa as a whole. This year, the focus is on telling stories and discussing ways of how entrepreneurs and businessmen can create wealth in a burgeoning Accra metropolis faced with a myriad of challenges.

Panelists and speakers will include Eve Andersson of Google, Esi Ansah of Ashesi
University, Derrydean Dadzie of DreamOval, Shika Acolatse of Enablis, Esi Cleland of
AfroChic, Emmanuel Dogbevi of Ghana Busines News amongst others. There will be
sessions organized by Google representatives and as well as other breakout sessions on various topics and interests as put forth by the attendees.

Register/RSVP today at the BarCamp Accra Eventbrite website. You may also contact the
BarCamp Accra team through this website for sponsorship opportunities. If you are
interested in organizing a breakout session, let us know, especially if you have special
needs.

BarCamp Accra 2010 is sponsored by the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology
(MEST), WorldWideWeb Foundation, Google, GhanaThink Foundation and NandiMobile.
Our media partners are CitiFm, Ghana Business News and Radio Universe. The customer
support hotline is 0543-288099. You can send questions, comments, and feedback by SMS
and get responses.

See you there!

www.barcampghana.org

Education: A view from Ghana - the Ashesi and MEST example

2010-08-17T16:09:00.006+01:00

This era requires nothing less than hands-on education and tuition. Anything short of that will obviously make the beneficiaries of such a system not only unemployed, but also unemployable. In Ghana, the main public Universities produce many graduates every year. According to the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, a big fraction out of this number are unemployable. My objective in this post is to evaluate the underlying factors that cause this dilemma and whether a solution can be found anytime soon.

Our public Universities are under-resourced and yet over populated. Lecturer to student ratios are amazingly unbelievable, yet at the end of the day, the graduates are expected to compete with their counterparts globally. I personally believe it is about time, the private sector came to the government's rescue.

Two main organisations that come to mind are the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) and Ashesi University. These schools have devoted their resources to train the Ghanaian population, one at a time. Ashesi University was founded by Patrick Awuah, former Microsoft executive. Every year the University produces talents in the liberal arts, sciences and engineering.

MEST on the other hand, was a dream conceived by Jorn Lyseggen, the CEO of the Meltwater Group, to train and prepare Ghanaian graduates in the technology and software fields. The trainees after graduation are supported by the Meltwater Foundation to start their own businesses to compete with similar Internet companies on the global market. The talents and skills exhibited by these trainees will undoubtedly go a long way to create wealth and employment for Ghana.

I believe, more of such strategies have to be considered if Ghana would want to compete with other advanced nations.

Education: A view from Ghana

2010-08-17T10:21:00.000+01:00

Africa is a continent with very little respect for education. It is estimated that at every point in time only about 6 percent of the people living on this continent have a post-high school certification of some sort. What bothers my mind the most is the attitude of the powers that be towards such matters of serious concern. They treat issues relating to education with a pinch of salt. In Ghana for instance the very pillars built to serve as public universities are the same which stand even today.

The biggest problem facing Africa undoubtedly is education. This I guess is not a matter of opinion but of fact. All other problems that face us and seem to be bigger than education can be resolved as soon as the primary problem of education is nipped in the bud.

I would like to draw your mind to a silent killing phenomenon which seems to be Ghana's dilemma although we hardly pay attention to it. I am talking about a cycle which always ensures that the best of students enter into University and the next level of students enter polytechnic.The third level of students find themselves in training colleges either as teacher trainees or as nurse trainees.

If we took the time to closely evaluate the calibre of entrants into the training colleges,we would realise that most (not all) of these students could not obtain high grades in English and Maths. These are the very people who will one day come out of such institutions to teach our kids English or Mathematics. My question is Why open up teacher training institutions for them, just because they did not obtain the necessary qualifications for into the University or Polytechnics ? I believe the willingness to teach should be a matter of choice and interest and nothing else.

I am looking forward to seeing a day when the best of students from our high schools would love to go into teacher training colleges to become tomorrow's teachers for our kids to benefit from their knowledge.

Next time you go into a government hospital and you do not get the best of treatment from the nurses..............think again probably she is not there because of interest rather she was pushed into nursing.

Ghana gets ready for BarCamp events

2010-08-12T10:32:00.006+01:00

Following the successes of BarCamp Ghana '08 and BarCamp Ghana '09, regional BarCamp events will be organized in selected regions in Ghana to enable as many people as possible partake in BarCamps before the main national event in December.

We are lining up BarCamp Accra 2010 which will take place on October 2nd, 2010 at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) campus at 20 Aluguntuguntu Street in East Legon, Accra. The theme is be “Creating wealth and employment in a challenging environment”.

You can become a fan today on facebook, www.facebook.com/BarCampAccra
Follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/Barcampaccra

BarCamp Kumasi with the theme - Collaboration: The key for opportunity and development
Become a fan today - www.facebook.com/pages/Barcamp-Kumasi/144855548877084
Follow on twitter: twitter.com/barcampkumasi

We'll round up with BarCamp Ghana in December
Become a fan today - www.facebook.com/BarCampGhana
Follow on twitter: twitter.com/barcampGhana

For any inquiries, or suggestion get in touch by sending us an e-mail through barcamp@ghanthink.org. Hope to hear from you soon!

NandiMobile - Empowering Connections!

2010-08-06T12:07:00.005+01:00

Very soon, Ghanaians will heave a sigh of relief as they will be provided with an opportunity to get closer to companies that offer products and services in the country. NandiMobile is a technology company that offers channels with its Gripeline and Infoline services for businesses in Africa to offer customer support and business information to their customers via mobile.

With the Gripeline service businesses are now just an SMS away from their customers. Users with mobile phones can complain, comment, give feedback or ask a question and of course obtain a response from the other end.

It is also the company’s objective to make business information and details easily accessible to a majority of the population. NandiMobile through its Infoline service will offer the Ghanaian public the opportunity to access such information via mobile just by sending a keyword to a short code. By leveraging the high mobile penetration in Africa, NandiMobile seeks to become a pan-African company that will re-define global customer service experience by using simple and accessible technologies.

NandiMobile is but one of the many companies in the Meltwater Incubator funded by the Meltwater Foundation. With a strong and dedicated management team, the company will create customer service technologies that will enable businesses connect to their customers through their mobile phones and easily engage, inform and manage their customer relationships. Pay the company a visit on their website and watch out for the launch of the services in September!

GT Bank is best Bank in Ghana

2010-08-02T12:19:00.005+01:00

Guaranty Trust Bank was announced the best bank in Ghana for the year 2009 as it won awards in seven categories at the Ghana banking awards ceremony held at the Ghana International Conference Center. GT bank topped the IT and electronic Banking, product innocation and short term loan financing categories.

For me the most exciting category was the Customer Advisory and Customer Care categories in which Guaranty Trust emerged first and first runner-up respectively. I think it sends a message loud enough for other banks in Ghana that take the customer for granted. They should learn from GT bank I suggest. Although they have only 20 outlets in the country, they have provided very interesting technologies that put smiles on the customers face and go a long way to reduce the length of queues in banking halls.

With their SMS banking and other e-banking services, customers need not travel long distances for their banking transactions. I am yet to understand why other banks even bigger than GT bank have still not implement such technologies. I think these services should be basic, especially in this technological era.

All banks in the country need to understand that channeling resources into ensuring the satisfaction of the customer should be paramount. It is about time the Ghanaian consumer got value for his or her money, no matter how small it is. Congratulations GT bank1!

Five reasons why you will definitely love AfroChic

2010-07-15T20:38:00.007+01:00

I am always excited when people add innovation and spice to the old and traditional ways of doing things, especially in Ghana. I found it even more motivating when I realized the twist was more into the technological area.

Esi Cleland and Adwoa Perbi are the co-founders of Afro-chic. These two self-motivated ladies have put together an online clothing store that displays and sells Afro-centric clothing. I fell in love with them (not the ladies but the clothes!) at first sight. Besides the African beauty the online presents to its customer, you will love them for these five other reason.

AfroChic presents variety

Nana, Naa and Kafui present its shoppers a basket that contains over 300 different shapes and sizes of African costumes. And this number keeps on increasing by the day. If you are interested in GTP, ATL, Woodin, DaViva, Batik or Basin fabric, then click on AfroChic and get one for yourself

The Online shop can be trusted

AfroChic delivers purchased items within two working days. The company also offers refunds just in case you are not happy with the purchase made.

Items in the store are affordable

I was amazed to learn from one of the co-founders that the most expensive piece doesn't cost more than GHc 40.00. This is definitely in the normal Ghanaian's range, whether you are buying it for yourself or as a gift.

AfroChic cares about you

Yes, they sell clothing but they also believe that the people who make the purchases need to be treated well and with respect. Try giving them a call, a warm welcoming voice will speak to you.

AfroChic gives more

They don't just make clothing. They make clothing that fits into people's lifestyle, and that will invite compliments. Once they get to know and understand who the customer is, they can make an outfit that will suit the individual.

Give them a try, let me know how it goes. I believe with such additions to our businesses, customers can begin to experience the level of customer service experienced elsewhere.

Investing in Football for a Better Ghana

2010-07-08T11:24:00.006+01:00

On 6th March 2010, Ghana's Independence day, the President of Ghana, H.E John Atta-Mills, reviewed his second Independence Day Anniversary Parade as President. The day being a special one, brought joy and satisfaction to the many school children at the parade who were neatly dressed in their well-ironed school uniforms complemented by speck-less white pair of socks.

For me the highlight of the event came when the President lit the perpetual flame with the assistance of Master Frank Adu-Poku, WAEC's over-all best student and winner of the prestigious Augustus Bandele Oyediran award. It was an inspiring moment for me because it counted as the few events that sought to celebrate brilliance and academic excellence in Ghana. For two years, Ghanaian student have been selected as West Africa's best, there is however very little done to motivate the students who put Ghana forward in such times. Master Adu-Poku was one of three Ghanaian students who won the WAEC Excellence award out of 1,520,319 candidates from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia. The name doesn't ring a bell, or does it?

For a developing country like Ghana that has acknowledged the development of education and science and technology to be its panacea, I am a bit surprised to find out how little it is invested in education as compared to the millions of dollars pumped into football. Each player in the Ghana Black Stars team has been promised an amount of $20,000 and a national award for their performance in the South African World Cup 2010. This excludes the hundreds of thousands of dollars given them as winning bonuses. These actions have gone on to see Ghana progress in football. I am not totally against these rewards, I do think though, that similar motivational measures should be channeled into education.

Should similar incentives be introduced in academia?

It will depend on what we want as a country. Do we want to produce graduates who will deliver as much as their counterparts in other developed nations do? Do we want to see a Ghana that will have citizens that will understand policies and decisions instituted by the government? OR do we want to continue seeing 1,200 students clamped in one lecture hall being taught by old lecturers in our universities? or do we want the future leaders to share rooms with 13 other students in a room only meant for 5?

At the function, the President gave assurance to the youth that the Government was committed to investing in them to build a critical mass to sustain the nation's development agenda and move it to higher heights. This promise is yet to be fully fulfilled. I think it is about time Ghana invested more resources in education. Until we do so, the country will continue to wallow in poverty and ignorance.

When a Nigerian says 'I will kill you'!

2010-06-22T17:30:00.006+01:00

Sani Kaita was dismissed from the Nigeria-Greece game for kicking a Greek defender on the touchline last Thursday 17th June. In the end Nigeria lost by a goal margin to Greece, their second defeat at the South African World Cup. It is reported that Kaita received more than thousand death threats sent to him via e-mail.

The Nigerian FA however clarified the following week by saying the threatening messages were rather messages showing anger and fury. 'In our language, if we say 'we will kill you', it means we are not happy with you. If a German hears 'I will kill you', it means you are dying next week. We really need to clear up this matter' said the team spokesman Idah Peterside.

I can't argue with the spokesman, but I find it somewhat surprising if more than a thousand 'I will kill you' turn out to mean 'I am angry with you'. I believe a good number out of these streams of threats should be for real especially with assassination stories of players like Columbia's Andrés Escobar. I still think the Nigerian FA should take the issue seriously and not downplay the consequences this might bring to the nation.

Solving BP's oil mess with crowdsourcing

2010-06-21T17:29:00.007+01:00

A crowdsourcing approach is being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency EPA of the US to help mitigate the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by the oil Giant Bharat Petroleum(BP). According to the BBC, thousands of suggestions have been sent to the EPA website for review by experts. Crowdsourcing is an approach usually taken by companies or organizations to distribute problem-solving assignments to a group of people, known or unknown.

Some of the ideas shared on the bbc website can be found here. I think crowdsourcing is an approach governing bodies can use to involve the citizenry and gather brilliant suggestions from people with experience in a particular field. What is even more interesting about this approach is that, such information can be obtained for free;in the case of the BP crowdsourcing approach, the EPA has warned it will not accept information claimed as confidential business information (CBI).

I would love to put forward this suggestion to the local governing bodies in Ghana especially to create a platform that will allow the citizens to share their suggestions especially in national crisis. I am sure with this approach, it wont be long before we find a solution to the perennial floods in the capital, Accra.

The Vuvuzela;a swarm of angry bees

2010-06-15T16:29:00.004+01:00

Invented some 20 years ago, the vuvuzela sometimes called lepatata, is one meter long, hated by Christiano Ronaldo and Patrice Evra, but admired by the soccer fans and branded by MTN, the official sponsor of this the South African 2010 World cup. Medical practitioners have even advised fans to exercise caution when in use for fear of a flu spread.

The LOC announced over the weekend that it would ban the use of the vuvuzela should there be enough reason to do so. This tournament had been slated to generate lots of discussions around the galaxy of stars paraded by the participating teams, instead, there are a lot more talks surrounding the noisy musical instrument and the Jabulani ball manufactured by Adidas. For Fifa, this does not sound encouraging in terms of the hype it wants to generate around the game of football.

As a fan myself I find it annoying sometimes, although I think it is a special object that will make the tournament different from all previous ones. Fifa has asked fans not to blow the vuvuzela during national anthems and public announcements at the stadium, I think this restriction should go a step further to reduce the noise levels. I cant predict accurately, but I think if Fifa and the South African LOC would want to make the South African word cup enjoyable, then something must be done about the swarm!

Ghana beats Serbia in South Africa 2010 World Cup

2010-06-13T23:54:00.007+01:00

I have never hidden my support for the Brazillian national team in international tournaments such as the World Cup. The Samba boys have been my favourites since I begun watching football about two decades ago. However the Ghana black stars have given me good reasons to consider them as a team to reckon with. The Ghana national team put up spectacular performances at the previous world cup event in Germany; winning against power houses such as the US and Czech Republic to the surprise of many.

This time too, Ghana has started its world cup campaign triumphantly, by beating Serbia by a goal to nil, becoming the first African team to win its game after Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria all failed to win. The black stars put the nation in frenzy after Ghana’s most prolific goal scorer, Asamoah Gyan converted a spot kick that swayed the Serbian goalee in the opposite direction. Ghana will meet Australia in its next game, the latter seems to have a psychological advantage over the socceroos, especially given the fact that Tim Cahill will miss that match after he was sent off in their game against Germany.

The Ghana Black Stars’ Serbian coach Milo, has proven to us all that the team is definetely need not be woven round the Midfield Dynamo of Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah. With Chealsea’s Essien out of the tournament and Appiah’s fitness issues, many thought the coach was out of options. He however got himself three points in his basket with youngsters like Asamoah, Dede Ayew, and Prince Boateng . I think it is about time we got fresh names into the team.

6 reasons why I won't put my phone off for 6 hours

2010-05-21T18:14:00.006+01:00

At a Ghanabloggers meeting, a member announced that the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) intends to protest against poor service quality by telecom operators on the 27th of May between 6am and 12pm this year. It sounded like a very good idea, but upon second thought, I realized the approach needed to be re-strategized. According to the leaders of this protest, it will cost the telecommunication industry an estimated $6 million.

Six-hour strike not enough!
I think the objective is a laudable one and I must frankly commend the brains behind the organization. Kudos to the CEO of the CPA Mr. Kofi Kapito. I however think switching off my phone for a period of 6 hours with the aim of punishing Telecom Giants like MTN and Zain is analogous to attacking Goliath with a catapult (without God’s hand!), this would seem like a tickle to companies that earn as much as 46,1 billion rands a year (More than 6.5 billion) in revenue and earned more than $54 million only from Ghana.

People have failed to understand that once you recharge your mobile credit account, the amount is credited to the network in question, whether you use the time or not. Putting your phone of will make very little difference unless of course one refuses to purchase credits for the rest of his/her life impossibility in this day and age). The end-user who in this case has a very little bargaining power will still resort to the very network he insults for his communication needs in the future.

If I am still not clear think of it this way, as a husband, you refuse to eat your wife’s lunch with the aim of showing her how bitter her food tastes like, just to have a double dose when it time for dinner. The question is what message will your wife get????

Other service providers are bad too!
I am wondering why it is just the telecoms we are demonstrating against. I was hoping we could rather ask for better service from service providers as consumers who pay hard earned cash for 'such services. What about GCB, GIA, ECG, WAEC and all the other companies with 'G' in them? Should they go scot free? Aren’t we creating the impression that it is only the telcos that are providing us with poor service?

Why bite your nose to spite your face?
I am thinking the CPA has chosen a very bad time to do this demonstration. Why? For a few reasons; In June, the over 30,000 graduates that were churned out of our universities and polytechnics will be looking forward to applying for jobs in various companies. The phone is the main point of contact between recruiters and applicants. I doubt these young graduates would want to take that risk especially because we are in recruitment seasons. Most of those advocating for this event, surely have landlines they would use in their offices and thus wouldn’t mind putting off their blackberries or iPhone off for six hours, I wouldn’t advice other people on the other side of life to do the same. You might just end up losing more than what MTN would.

Blame the NCA not the Telecoms!
The National Communications Authority (NCA) is supposed to oversee the performance levels of these telecoms. Its mission is to “regulate the communications industry by setting and enforcing high standards of competence and performance to enable it to contribute significantly and fairly to the nation's prosperity through the provision of efficient and competitive services.” The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not the NCA has been able to meet this objective.

In a letter dated June 14, 2007 the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) slammed its hammer down on MTN Nigeria for poor services on its network after several warnings. MTN was then asked to submit to the commission on weekly basis a report of its achievements on quality of service parameters for an initial period of ninety days or until it (MTN) improved service quality. Also in 2008 the NCC again ordered two mobile operators, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited and Celtel Nigeria Limited, to refund about 4.7 billion Naira (about 41 million USD) to subscribers for poor quality of service rendered in the month of January 2008. This is what I call an authority.

In the past, the NCA has sanctioned some operators for poor service and has gone on further to warn them for poor Quality of service (QoS), but these measures haven’t stopped the latter from its acts of poor service delivery. Even the Vice-President of Ghana (a former Minister of Communication) has gone on further to ask the NCA to attend to such issues with sharper claws.
Instead of demonstrating against the operators, I think we should rather demonstrate against the NCA or whoever is supposed to empower the NCA with the right resources to do their job well.

Lack of uniformity, low publicity
The publicity regarding this event hasn’t been the encouraging. I know dozens of thousands of people who still don’t know anything about this protest.

We will go back to our them anyway!
I am just wondering what people will do after the 6 hours. My guess is, they would put their phones back on and enjoy the poor services of the very operator you protested against!!

In my next post I will attempt to come up with a few suggestion that can be considered by the CPA and all other consumers for that matter.

Accra gets flooded....again!

2010-05-18T19:48:00.004+01:00

Just after about two hours of rains yesterday the city of Accra got flooded, leading to the collapse of bill boards and buildings in the city. This is a yearly situation that is slowing down the progress of Ghana as a country. What is surprising about these issues, is the blame-game carried out by bodies supposed to ensure the implementation of bye-laws in metropolitan areas.

The ordinary citizen blames the AMA, the AMA blames the lands commission, whiles the Lands Commission blames the citizenry for not obeying simple laid out rules and regulations. There is one thing that is clear though, this situation has happen more than once, or twice. It is a has become a yearly ritual Ghanaians have become used to and prepare for around rainy seasons every year.

Frankly, I dont think the world should come to our aid should our capital be consumed one day by uncontrolled floods because this is a problem that has been staring at us in the face for the past decade and even beyond. The ealier a long lasting non-political solution was proposed to this epidemic, the better.

My Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T21:54:00.003+01:00

Down our inner selves they laid their souls and voices

From the nights after our tags were handed to us

Till these days of cash vacations

Mama has grown with my dreams

And pushed our fears over the tick cliffs

Will few pebbles in hand and no jewels to adorn her with

I can only spill back the milk she filled my belly with

Through the dark days when, days were yet to begin

And nights refused to follow its usual route

She, taken a sip of the sour wine, so I wouldn’t have to

Of all the true lovers of God’s plan, Abena I cherish the most

The 4 most unfortnate cheating men of 2010.....so far!

2010-02-26T13:01:00.005Z

Tiger Woods, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Bill Clinton, David Letterman, what do all these men have in common? Looks like the question about why men cheat has come up again. This year has seen superstars crumble in the media circles because they were not able to keep their wedding vows. A couple of weeks a ago I tried to answer the question about why men cheat? Sex got them into trouble, others were more fortunate than others. Below are the four most unfortunate men so far in 2010.

John Terry
John Terry, England football captain lost his captainship in the national team after it was discovered he had had an affair with his former team mate Wayne Bridge's girl. As if that was not enough, some companies terminated their sponsorship contracts with him.

Ashley Cole
A fellow team mate at Chelsea FC, Ashley Cole is alleged to have been divorced by his wife Cheryl Cole via SMS not too long ago. The split followed an allegations that the singer's husband, had been unfaithful.

The unfortunate Ghanaian polygamist
Locally in Ghana, a man from Obuasi met his untimely death after he lied to his two wives (a polygamist already!!) to spend some time with his mistress in a hotel. Prior to the meeting the man had been advised by his doctor to stay away from sex because of his heart condition. He however ignored this counsel and went in for fun. This caused him his dear life.

3 ways Governments can get closer to its citizens

2010-01-29T16:17:00.006Z

Image by alles-schlumpf via Flickr

This week I wrote a post on how Ghana could copy the way US is leveraging on the power of technology and social media to reach out more to the citizens. Obama's state of the Union address was made available live to more people and in more ways than any event hosted since the Obama’s Inauguration. More than 1,300,000 people tuned into to the live video feed of the President’s State of the Union Address provided on the White House blog. After the speech, over 50,000 people stayed on to watch and engage with administration officials during a live Facebook event. Below are three lessons all governments can learn from the US example.

Start a blog, and be sincere about your issues
In this social media era, blogs are a very dependable way of disseminating information of any kind; good and bad. Just as the White House of US has started a blog to discuss happenings in government, I believe other local governments can do similar. The number of Ghanaians online is not as encouraging as it is supposed to be, but there still is a good number of Ghanaians with Internet access who would love to read reliable information presented by a source such as its own government official.

Catch them online via Facebook, twitter youtube
My research shows that there are 277,600 Ghanaians on facebook, some of these people access these platforms (especially Facebook and Twitter) via mobile. I believe very healthy discussions can be organisd on facebook chats and on twitter. Issues can be addressed online and questions answered by authorities in power.

Listen to its citizens online
Many aggrieved citizens vent their frustrations online by stating it in their facebook statuses, commenting on posts or by writing a post on the issue. There are many different smart tools the government can use to keep track of what its citizens are "saying" or discussing online. I believe this will help the authorities make better decisions in most cases.

The Haiti Disaster - Ghana must help

2010-01-15T13:11:00.005Z

Tuesday, 12th January 2010 will definitely go down history as one of the most memorable days in the world. Haiti was struck by a 7.0 earthquake caused not only Haiti but the rest of the world as well. Total number of lives lost is yet to be made certain, but I hear the number runs over 50,000 people. All of a sudden the term “Re Cross Haiti” has become one of the most search terms on Google.

One thing I must commend is the way people have gone out of their ways to deep their hands deep into their pockets to make donations towards relief processes. President Obama together with all mobile networks started an initiative we all must applaud. This allows mobile users in the US to donate $10 to the Red Cross to help with the disastrous situation in Haiti following a major earthquake. So far a total amount of over $5 million has been realized. All users have to do it to text “HAITI” to 90999.

Other superstars and sportsmen like Tiger Woods and Haitian-born rap star Wyclef Jean have also donated their time and money to ensure that the situation in Haiti gets better. Tiger Woods donated an amount of $3 million to Wyclef’s Yele foundation.

Ghana is yet to join the chain of ‘helpers’, on January 15th the President of Ghana expressed condolence to the president and people of Haiti. I seriously think more can be done although Ghana is a third world nation. The Obama initiative in the US I believe can also be replicated in Ghana. I am sure we can all put In our widow’s might if these options are provided on MTN, Tigo, Zain, Vodafone and Kasapa.

Africa must expose corrupt leaders

2010-01-10T13:40:00.003Z

I am particularly pleased with the way African nations such as Liberia and DR-Congo are seriously frowning on bribery and corruption which has been Africa's biggest headache.

This week several officials in the DR-Congo Ministry of Finance and other departments got to their offices to meet letters terminating their employment or forcing them to retire. They were fired on charges of mismanagement and bribery and corruption. Those asked to proceed on leave had refused to do so when their retirement was due. I think the President of DR-Congo must be applauded for taking such a bold step (provided the the allegations are true).

Liberia is the other country I would love to praise for frowning on Corruption in their country. In October last year, the information minister, Laurence Bropleh, was suspended over claims that he had misappropriated more than US$200,000. I pray these actions of intolerance for corruption will become the number one goal for all African leaders.

There are clear pieces of evidence of corruption and bribery in most Africa institutions, yet the leaders for no apparent reason fail to bring the culprits to book. Quite recently a journalist with Radio Gold filmed the immigration officers at the Ghana-Togo border extorting moneys equivalent to $4 from the people crossing the border. What happened to the free movement within the ECOWAS sub-region? I would not be surprised if the officials are still at post.

It is an open secret that the police on our roads who are to ensure that all drivers plying our roads have the skills and documentation,do not do so. They rather take moneys from offending drivers and just let them drive away. If Africa is to progress, these corrupt official need to be exposed.

Do African leaders have the guts Kabila has to expose such corrupt officials?

Impossible Dream

2010-01-07T10:59:00.004Z

Today Geoff Holf will become the first Quadriplegic to ever successfully cross the Atlantic unassisted. If you still think this feat is easily achievable, let me break down the reality of the key-words “quadriplegic. A quadriplegic is a person who is paralyzed in both arms and legs and has therefore lost the full functionality of these body parts. His goal is to cross the Atlantic and get to the place where he was injured, and to show the beach - and the world - that he can do whatever he sets his mind to. So some days ago he set off on a 2,700 mile trip from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to the Caribbean.

I was touched and motivated by this amazing story as Komla Dumor interviewed this history-maker on bbc. One thing that amazed me the most was that he has no regret whatsoever in his life;when he was asked if he would change anything about his life he said “I wouldn’t change a single thing”. He is actually thankful for every event in his life even for his physical condition. According to him it is that accident that led him to meet his lovely wife (who is now his nurse). Together the lovely couple has a child.

I have decided to share this story with the rest of the world because of the motivational value it carries. Surprisingly he made this dream possible with a boat called “Impossible dream”. Impossible dream is a 60ft, purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible catamaran. It is custom-built designed with push-button technology allowing Geoff to navigate and sail the boat using his sailing skills and experience, without relying on his physical ability.

I hope this story will turn out to be a story that will propel us all to achieve our dreams and goals in the year 2010 and beyond

BarCamp Ghana 09 - Cultivating Leaders

2009-12-14T09:51:00.005Z

I would want to share with all readers of my blog where I found my love for blogging. I attended BarCamp Ghana 08 last year and was very privileged to meet top African bloggers like David Ajao and Esi Cleland. I was inspired there and then to start my own blog after the event. So for those who still think BarCamp is another conference for people to talk, take a second look.
What then is BarCamp?

BarCamp is simply an ‘unconference’ - an ad-hoc gathering of people with the simple desire to share and learn in an open environment. Unlike a conference, at a BarCamp everyone is both a speaker and a participant. The content is provided by all attendees based on their interests. So anyone can start a session and get others who are interested to discuss issues concerning that topic. And if possible come up with an action plan. The talkers then become doers.

Focused on human capacity building, BarCamp is also a platform for equipping attendees with new and more acceptable values in business, culture and society.
This brilliant event is organized by GhanaThink and will be hosted at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology MEST located in East Legon, just about 200 meters from the A&C shopping mall. The team for this year’s Camp is Leadership for Our Times: Cultivating Change Makers. This year’s event seeks to focus on allowing the youth to share ideas on how we can contribute positively to the development of the country.

I wish for a better year

2009-11-17T13:34:00.003Z

All too soon another 17th November has caught up with me. It means just one thing, time and tide surely aint waiting for me. In times such as these, I look back into the year that just flew away and ask myself what I could have done better? I am not a strong believer of New Year’s resolutions and all, but I surely would want love to do a few things better in the coming year!!

A better friend
In the past 14,191,200 minutes I haven’t been the best friend. I have more than 700 friends on Facebook (of course this is nothing compared to the 3,000 friends Ato has!!), yet I feel like I know so little about them. I hope to get closer to each and everyone, home or away. So the next time you see me throw a chat at you to say hi, just know it is in fulfillment of this promise.

A better blogger
I have always wanted to post regularly; at least once a week would have been fine. I have always dreamt of being the Ghanaian blogger on the first spot on the Afrigator list. For some reasons, these wishes haven’t materialized. In the coming years I look forward to fulfilling those dreams. Might even come up with a tagoeblogger.com instead of the usual tagoeblogger.blogspot.com blog up here. I also hope to start a technology blog to discuss tech issues and their benefits to sub-Saharan Africans like us. Who knows, I might turn out to be the Eric Scornfield of Ghana. Keep your fingers crossed.

A better Poet
My poetry skills have undergone some rusting in the past year, I must confess. I haven’t been regular at my favorite OpenAirTheatre programme on Radio Universe. Neither have I been functional at the Talk party poetry shows at Nubuke. I created a poetry blog with Gameli of Gamelian World to write nothing but poetry, things haven’t been as smooth as we expected. My poems are scattered all over the place. Some are in books; others are on my PC and a lot more on scrap sheets. I think I need to put them all together, and share them with the world. Poetry has a miraculous way of healing wounds that medicine can do nothing about.

A better Entrepreneur
I was fortunate to be a manager at a very young age. I started and sold a small business even while I was a student on campus. I loved that job. Not because of the returns, but because of it was the first time I had created employment for more than four people, the smiles on their faces every morning was my satisfaction. And I am pretty sure they in turn put giggles on other faces too. Too bad it had to end someway somehow. I have a couple of companies in mind; I think I might start one or two in the coming years. Today at MEST, I start a very long journey that may help me put smiles on more faces; I hope I take the right steps towards this feat.

A better Ghanaian
I feel I haven’t done much for Ghana. I guess it all started when I decided not to waste my time in long winding queues to cast my vote in Presidential elections. I saw it to be a long useless process because in the end, the result was not going to be anything different from what we had experienced all these years. Now I feel I was wrong, even though I am tempted everyday to believe otherwise. I intend to give more to Ghana (as if I have received so much). Many unfortunate people do not have what, I have, this knowledge I intend to share with all those who will stretch out their arms. PathGhana will be come out stronger and more powerful.

i-warrior- Africa’s first ever i-phone game

2009-10-21T09:55:00.006+01:00

For a minute imagine you are the only warrior in your African village who can save it from the attacks of mighty rhinos, thunderous elephants and crafty hyenas. Your task is to defend your helpless village by feeding and driving away the animals before they crash and feed on your livestock and garden!! What a challenge?

This is the virtual situation Leti Game’s newest i-phone game puts you in. i-warrior is an attractive game that utilizes the i-Phone’s inbuilt accelerometer to control movement and shooting actions. For those not to familiar with the i-phone accelerometer, you can use your finger to slide and tap, this controls movement and shooting. I have played this game you can move and shoot.

What captivates me the most is the African theme, this game is built on as well as the stunning natural effects that come with the rain and thunder. Users have the luxury of playing their own music in the background and they save their village and livestock. The i-warrior is currently on the Apple app store and sells at $2.99.
The icing on the cake is the fact that this wonderful African game has been ported for most j2me midp2.0 devices. The j2me version of this game is called Kijiji. So for those without i-phone can still enjoy it on their Nokia or Sony Ericson mobiles. Simple keys on the phone are used to control this version of the i-phone.

I have played this game a couple of times. I was part of the first stock of testers when the game was still in Beta. As a game addict, I must say I found the game very exciting. i-warrior has been tried by other gamers like White African who gave his comments on his technology blog. Gameli Adjaho a fellow software entrepreneur evaluated the i-warrior on Gamelian World. You can download the game from here .

Enablis in Ghana

2009-10-19T16:53:00.006+01:00

Ghana is fortunate to be the 4th African country to have an Enablis Network after South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. Enablis is a Canadian-based organization which concentrates on driving measurable social and economic development by supporting entrepreneurs in small and medium scale enterprises. It was first launched at the G8 meeting in 2002 but was founded formerly in the year 2003.

Members of this rich network of entrepreneurs, get the chance to derive value from the network that is presented to them and are also expected to create value for the other members in any way they can. Members with viable businesses or companies can also benefit from funding possibilities provided by Enablis. Special funding options are made available to qualified members to fill the "financial gap" in their various fields of operation.

The Enablis Ghana office was officially launched at Labone on 16th October 2009 in a short ceremony that saw various dignitaries gracing the occasion . Charles Sirois is the C.E.O of Enablis and Sika Acolatse is the country Director of the Ghana Office. Below is a picture of me and the friendly CEO, Charles Sirois.

What does it mean to local entrepreneurs?
Now an opportunity has been presented to Ghanaian entrepreneurs to network with other business partners thereby increasing the prospects of their businesses. Aside this advantage serious entrepreneurs can apply for funding from the Enablis Financial Corporation (EFC) and expand their businesses. I see this to be an answer to the prayers of various entrepreneurs in the country. In an era when banks keep on turning away individuals with solid business plans because of lack of collateral, this news could not have been a better remedy.

Getting paid to save the world

2009-10-15T01:00:00.001+01:00

Today is Blog Action Day.Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.

To add my voice on the Climate change issue, I will share with my readers a very interesting opportunity to kill two birds with one stone (ooops! I nearly wrote killing 2 stones with one bird!!). Yourenew is a company that offers you the opportunity to make money and save the world as well.

YouRenew.com is the perfect place for you to recycle or sell used cell phones, mp3 players, digital cameras and graphing calculators. You can also recycle and sell laptops, video game console, external hard drive, video game or DVD. If you can’t find your device in our catalogue or we can’t pay for it, you can always ship it for free and we’ll recycle it safely. So look up your device today, go green and get green! So look up your device today and go green!

Every single day, dozens of consumers buy electronic gadgets, be it i-pod, laptop or a simple portable MP3 player. These products when bought by the users are not recycled once they no longer have any use for them. The need then arises for them to purchase a newer version of the technology they adore so much. And that is where the problem comes from. Too many electronic gadgets ending up in our landfills goes a a long way to create some kind of environmental inconvenience to the world and the people therein.

Yourenew.com is a technological company that is on a mission to make the planet a better place and provide an easy way for technology users to re-sell their electronic goods after they are out-dated. And the beautiful part of it all is that they do so without the hassles of creating accounts, payments of fees and payment of shipping. The company takes care of all those costs, all you need to do is to send them you old electronic gadget and you get paid for it upon receipt. WOW! It is the company's own way of contributing to the climate change dilemma the world is currently facing.

Below is a video detailing the easy process this crusade involves.

Get under your bed, closet, garage and fetch your old electronic gadget, ship it to Yourenew and get paid. Trust me there is no better way to recycle and definitely no easier way to save the world.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T12:39:00.005+01:00

The World woke up on Friday to be greeted with an announcement from the Norwegian Nobel Committee declaring President Barack Obama as the Nobel Peace prize winner. The committee. The first ever Back American President of US was selected out of a total of 205 men and women nominated for the award. And the winner got to know about it the same time as anyone else.

There have been mixed reactions from the international community about this award. Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwean Prime Minister , was tipped as a favorite for the 10 million Swedish crowns prize. My guess is Obama beat him to the prize because he (Obama) has served the world with hope for a better future and within the past 9 months, he has strived for nuclear disarmament in Iran. Aside these achievements, Barack has made attempts to bring peace to between Israel and Palestinian regions, in themiddle East. This is of course a herculian task he hope to achieve, and he knows it himself since he has mentioned time and again that these objectives might not even be realised in his lifetime. The point is, he is awarded for giving it a try.

Last year the former president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, was given the Nobel peace prize for a similar efforts. Ahtisaari for more than three decades made efforts on several continents to resolve international conflicts. Critics who still think he was awarded this prestigious prize because he is Black should think again. After all Morgan in real terms is "blacker" than Obama, so if it were a matter of color then I guess the Zimbabean Prime Minister should be the one on December 12th to take home the 1.4 million dollar sum that comes with award and not Obama. He won it because he deserved it and nothing else.

Lessons from David Letterman- why do men cheat?

2009-10-07T20:27:00.004+01:00

I do realize I am no authority when questions relating to social issues come up, and that is even the very reason why I have put this question up. I find it bizarre and very difficult to believe when I hear ‘’it is normal for men to cheat”. My defense does not even encompass religious or moral restrictions but rather issues of common sense. I personally think it is disheartening when an individual hears that a partner cheated on her.

I read on yahoo yesterday about how David Letterman, revealed on his late night television program that he had had sexual involvements with women from his program. I personally do admire the courage with which he put his reputation on the line and offered an emotional apology to his dear wife, Regina Lasko. Some however say he was forced to apologize in order to untangle himself from the 2million dollar blackmailing tether that hung round his neck.

The Question is why on earth do men cheat?
Bill Clinton whiles occupying the highest office on earth, cheated on his ambitious wife, Hillary and the Monica Lewinsky scandal is one thing I am sure Bill will never forget. I spoke to a few friends and to be frank most of them seemed to see the cheating experiences on the part of the men as normal happenings that come with life.

It has to do with the ambitious nature man is born with. For man to live life and enjoy it to the fullest, man (male and female) has ingrained in his DNA a nature that is set to explore the world more and more every time. And that is why we have space explorations and human cloning laboratories today. Man is therefore created to be dissatisfied with one condition after a certain period of time. I may be wrong but I guess this is the root of promiscuity among men. After living with a partner for a long while (long while is actually relative, for some it is just a week for others it could be a decade), they get fed up and perhaps decide to explore more of what life has to offer. And these explorations land them into some trouble. This was actually the best explanation to my question so far.

This explanation however led me to a few more questions. Questions like, “if this hypothesis is true then why are males the ones who get fed up?””Is it that fewer women cheat than men, or more men are caught than men?”, “why is it that some men do not cheat at all?”

WOZA 2010 – Africa will not fail

2009-10-05T13:13:00.002+01:00

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, an African nation has been given the chance to host the most watched and most prestigious football completion. In the months of June and July next year, all eyes will be on South Africa, most of these eyes will off course expect nothing less than a spectacular event.

In spite of a few shortcomings the host-nation faced a few months ago, it has made lots of progress in terms of its infrastructural requirements. Five out of the ten stadia to be used for the World Cup 2010 next year have been completed. The others are expected to be fully finished by December 2009. A lot more has been done about the country’s security and transportation services to make sure next year’s football fiesta will be memorable. It is also an opportunity to prove to the World that Africa is capable of hosting an event as big as the World Cup.

A few years ago, Africa was given the chance to host the Miss World event in Nigeria and things didn’t go as planned. In the end, heads lives were lost, Africa was insulted and the event had to be moved to London. We all as Africans regret the way things went that year, and that is why next year’s World Cup in South Africa needs to be a top-class event. I am also expecting a more competitive performance from the African teams that will be representing the continent. This will prove the critiques wrong and perhaps give Africa more daring chances in the near future.

Nkrumah should go back to Nkroful

2009-09-21T12:25:00.004+01:00

Over the weekend, the chiefs and family members of Ghana’s first President made a case for the return of the body of Osagyefo. The body of Kwame Nkrumah was exhumed in 1992 with a promise to return the body some years later. This promise is yet to be fulfilled. For the three reasons under-listed, I believe Nkrumah should go back home.

1. A request from Kwame Nkrumah himself to be buried in his hometown when he dies. His daughter Samia Nkrumah was also in support of this idea.

2. Dr. Nkrumah was crowned theTufuhene of Nkroful and as a sub-chief of the area it is required by tradition to bury him in his hometown. Until this is done no other Tufuhene can be installed by the people of NkrofulThe return of the remains of Dr. Nkrumah to his homeland will help boost the tourism prospects of the Nkroful Township. The truth of the matter is, there is very little in Nkroful to show that a man as powerful as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah ever lived in Nkroful or was born there.

3. The return of Osagyefo’s remains will lead a great number of tourists to Nkroful for tourism purposes. It is about time the people of Nkroful started benefiting from their son.

Nkruamah was a saviour but not a messiah!

2009-09-17T13:24:00.005+01:00

I was at the Nebuke Foundation for an art exhibition last weekend. Among the many pictures that were, in the gallery it was one particular one that caught my attention.

Nkrumah had been described in 13 different ways. I wanted to share that with you so that you tell me what you think. Are these terms really objective definition or just another hero worship for Kwame Nkrumah?

The Messiah
The Saviour
Fountain of Honor
Teacher
Redemeer
Leader
The Infallible
The Ideolgical Mentor
Show Boy
Osagyefo
Asomdwehene
Oyadieeyie
Kasapreko

Kwame Nkrumah vrs Muammar al-Gaddafi

2009-09-16T10:28:00.003+01:00

After Nkrumah liberated Ghana from its colonial rulers, the effect of the achievement rippled throughout the continent, motivating others to fight for their freedom. It is therefore not so surprising to see nations like Nigeria gaining Independence in 1960. Nkrumah however continued to echo his intentions of liberating the whole landmass of Africa else his toil would have been fruitless.

For some reasons beyond his control, he was unable to fulfill the dream of being Africa’s messiah. Years after his death, does Africa want an African Union?

At the AU summit held in Accra to discuss this delicate topic, the consensus was to unify Africa slowly in a manner that would benefit all participating members. This decision did not go down well with Al-Gaddafi who was campaigning for a unified continent within the shortest possible time. I wonder sometimes, which stand Kwame Nkrumah would have taken if he were alive.

From what I have read about Kwame Nkrumah, I gather he was a radical man and was a man who believed in action. When the United Gold Coast Confederation (UGCC) preached “Independence within the shortest possible time” he was adamant and went for the “Independence Now” slogan. From this past experience one can infer that Nkrumah would have actually gone with Al-Quadafi.

On the other hand, Kwame Nkrumah was a man of discerning wisdom, and therefore strategically approached every problem (at least most of them) with caution. Nkrumah’s approach towards establishment of the first medical school in Ghana is evidence of that nature he carried in him. He took the more cautious approach which was not necessarily the fastest at that time. In the end he was glad to see the medical school established after several years. From this past experience, I can say Nkrumah would have approached this puzzling problem with caution and would probably have gone against Al-Quadafi’s approach towards the African single state.

To ‘posthumously’ think like Kwame Nkrumah, is a task no man on earth can ever do. One thing I know for sure, Kwame Nkrumah used different approaches to solve different problems. And that is why he is the man of the Century!

Kwame Nkrumah- celebrated by a few!

2009-09-15T10:38:00.003+01:00

The 21st September, this year is going to be celebrated by Ghanaians and Africans as a whole as the Founder’s Day. At least in Ghana, this day has been declared by the president of Ghana as a holiday. My Question is how many people on the streets of Accra really know the significance of this day?

The ordinary Ghanaian will hail anyone for another holiday, and would not really care whether it is a day to celebrate past heroes or a day to remember perishing souls, all they care about is, “It is just a holiday”, and with it comes no work, no school, no alarm clocks. The awareness created by the organizing committee has not been the best. Personally I feel like the little school boy in Class 6 knows more about ASEM or Bradez than they even know about their own Osagyefo. In my opinion there are not enough books about his achievements (and failures). The few that are available are either too expensive to be afforded by the average Ghanaian or are in not in the best of shapes.

I believe Ghanaians as a people have not done enough to celebrate the man Kwame Nkrumah. A writer once complained about how he was unable to obtain pictures of Kwame Nkrumah from the nations television network GTV. They did not have a single picture of the man who had been voted “The Man of the Century”. Who is to blame?

Today, I know of some people who can sing all the lyrics in the most popular Ghanaian hip-life songs, and yet cannot even recite a single quote by Kwame Nkrumah. Should we blame the readers who are not reading enough about him, the writers who are not writing enough about him, or maybe we should blame the committee tasked to put together a memorable Founder’s day celebration and go further to ask them what they are doing the tax payers’ $6 million.

3 things I learnt about Nkrumah over the weekend

2009-09-14T10:37:00.007+01:00

On Sunday 13th September, the Nubuke Foundation had an art exhibition in its gallery. In the gallery were some photos of Kwame Nkrumah and other pan-africanist who had contributed immensely to the liberation of the African continent. The exhibition was followed by the Poetry Talk Party; a literary program for poets and lovers of poetry designed to encourage discussions around very interesting topics. This weekend’s topic was "Kwame Nkrumah" (of course!). During the exhibitions and the discussions I learnt three things I never knew about Kwame Nkrumah.

(1) Nkrumah is Immortal.
The immortality of Osagyefo was accepted by most people among the audience. Years after his death, his writings and speeches are still alive. A contest on BBC to select the Man of the Century was won by him, even against other stalwarts like Nelson Mandela of South Africa. I learnt over the weekend that at a certain point in our Ghanaian history, most of Nkrumah’s writings were confiscated and destroyed. People even were banned from quoting him in public. These actions notwithstanding, Nkrumah’s works can still be found online, in bookshops and galleries. Nkrumah lives on.

(2) There were more than 1 attempt on his life.
Until Sunday, I personally thought there was only one assassination attempt on the life of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, I was dead wrong! The first attempt on his life was made when a bomb was placed by his residence in November 1955. There was also the major Awhaltey plot to assassinate Nkrumah while he was abroad. This plot is reported to have been planned by the opposition. Fortunately for him, a loyal official who had some information regarding the plot reported it to the authorities who then went on to foil this unbelievable attempt. Then was, the infamous Kulungulugu (a border town between Burkina Faso and Ghana) bombing on 1st August 1962. A bomb was placed in a flower supposed to be presented to him by a young girl at a ceremony in Kulungulugu. He escaped the attack and was hospitalized for a few days, but the young girl died.

(3) Nkrumah never saw Fathia again after they separated.
When Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966 whiles he was on a mediation mission in Viet Nam. He was prevented from coming back into the country by the coup makers. Nkrumah then went to Guinea where he was made the co-president of Guinea. That marked the end of the love story that existed between his Egyptian wife, Fathia and himself. They only communicated through letters. Nkrumah later died of skin cancer in a Romanian Hospital, Fathia died several years later. Today they both share the same resting place at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra.

September 11- A day the World will never forget

2009-09-11T12:44:00.004+01:00

I can still remember the scene of a fuming sky scraper on national Television. Not too long afterwards a bird-like object flew into the second twin. Crippling it after it had consumed its internals and the breathless therein. On the radio Fiifi Banson’s voice was hoarse but angry at the unforgiving act against humanity. Once again America had attacked it own on a day least expected.

It’s been eight years since this act was committed by the Al-Qaeda. America was attacked but the world suffered the consequences. All others wept with the bereaved and shared in their grief. Days after the horrible event, the effects were more visible sending ripples through the world economy.

Fewer visas were of course issued. No one traveled unless it was a matter of life and death, at least not by air! Prices climbed higher and higher sparing no one it its way. After the wounded had wiped its tears they spat fire. The hunter was haunted from afar. And when all was done and clear, more harm had been created. Problems in Afghanistan and more trouble in Iraq. A useless quest for non-existing machines rumored to possess crippling capabilities. Days will go and others will come but no one will ever forget Nine-Eleven.

Kwame Nkrumah was not a god after all !!!!!

2009-09-07T17:26:00.004+01:00

On Thursday, Ghana woke up to hear about the Founders Day celebration in Ghana and Africa. This day had been on the drawing board since President Mills’ announcement in his speech in January. Ghana now has one more holiday to celebrate. Founder’s day comes as one of the only days Ghana will celebrate in commemoration of a former head of state.

I never had the chance to meet Kwame Nkrumah, and I strongly believe you too did not have that opportunity. I grew up to think Kwame Nkrumah was a semi-god of immense capabilities and that is how come he was able to wrestle independence from his white-skinned rulers who were to be feared in that era. Today, I know a few tales and myths I heard about Kwame Nkrumah were not so true after all.

Little Kwame Nkrumah in his childhood stripped at his mum’s back, is reported to have told his mother, that she had stepped on a fish. When his mother took the pains to bend and check for herself, it was true. She had really stepped on a fish and didn’t even realize it. I found this myth hard to believe at first. Now, I have no difficulty disbelieving it. Kwame was really great but not a god.

There were also some myths about him being a true servant of one of the most powerful gods in Ghana. And as such he was protected from any human attacks. Some believe that is how come he escaped his attempted assignation at the Airport. It was reported that Kwame Nkrumah knew about the bomb that had been planted into the bouquet that was to be presented to him. This myth is a little bit difficult to disprove or substantiate.

One thing I know for sure, Dr, Nkrumah was a great ruler (although he was a little bit over ambitious with his goals). But he was certainly not a god, at least not a god enough to predict his overthrow.

Ghana qualifies for the World Cup

2009-09-07T10:10:00.005+01:00

After Ghana thrashed Sudan by two goals to nothing, Ghanaian were so ecstatic most of them poured out unto the streets to celebrate another World Cup entry. Hitherto qualification to World Cup events was a very big task for Ghana. It however looks like Ghana has gotten over its biggest fear. The football-loving nation first qualified to the Germany World Cup some three years ago and has once again made history by being the first African Nation to qualify for WOZA 2010 and for that matter Angola 2010.

Thanks the Morinho's favorites and Ghana's midfield dynamos Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien, Ghana can now relax in their seats and watch how the game flows with two matches to go.

I am ecstatic too because once again Ghana can benefit from the unity that encompassed the whole nation. When Ghana made spectacular achievements at the last world cup, the country was magically united. I believe Ghana needs some sip from the football concoction once again.

This time around I pray the Ghana Black Stars will get a step further than they did in their previous appearance. Go Black Stars go!!!

Why can’t Ghana be white-listed?

2009-09-05T16:59:00.002+01:00

It is pain when one wants to purchase an item online from a website and just realizes that it is not possible simply because one’s IP is a Ghanaian IP and has been blacklisted together with a few other African nations’ IPs. Even with a credit card in your hand, there is very little you can achieve within the borders of Ghana.

Many foreigners do not want to do business with Ghanaians online as soon as they realize you are from Ghana. I agree with the school of thought that supports this security move to clamp down on 419 scams and other internet fraud activities that are becoming rampant nowadays. We are notorious for such activities, and no one will ever dispute that. Now I hear Sakawa has been taken to the next step; spiritualist and wizards are now play vital part in the Sakawa dealings.

But my question is “If we were blacklisted because of a few bad nuts then why can’t Ghana be white listed because of the good ones?” Over the past few years some very credible IT companies have come up to do unquestionable businesses in the country. I thought the powers that be will release the black listed nations off their shackles because of these achievements in the business arena. I was dead wrong. What level of credibility then must black-listed countries attain before Paypal opens an office in Ghana? Or how many internet fraudsters must be arrested before I can finally order for goods online?

The Joy Fm Old-Skull Reunion could have been better

2009-08-31T15:53:00.010+01:00

Joy fm is one of my favorite stations in the country mainly because of the level of professionalism they attach to the broadcasting business. Furthermore Joy Fm has added a few more interesting and creative touches to the competitive radio industry. The Bridal Fair, Easter Soup Kitchen and the Old Skull re-union evidently are enough to support my compliments. I attended the 9th edition of the Old Skull re-union and I was very excited and impressed with the amount of effort that had gone into the organization of a program of this magnitude. I however think a few holes could have been tightly sealed to make it more enjoyable for the greater majority.

I must doff my hat to the organizing team for such a spectacular event at the Ghana International Trade Fair. Many schools were invited to come to the Joy Fm studio to introduce their schools and reminisce some High School happenings. These activities I believe went a long way to create the necessary hype for the much-awaited-for re-union. It was also an avenue for the BIG companies in Ghana to advertise to the energetic crowd of youthful intellect. Coca-Cola, Zain, Hitz fm and Joy fm were ubiquitous.

I however think this show would have passed for an excellent one had a few set-backs been attended to. Before and after the program, there was a “glue” traffic jam in La, and this created some inconvenience to some motorists and passengers who had nothing to do with the re-union. I believe the organizers could in the future suggest to the patrons to park their cars a few miles away from the Trade Fair premise and board buses that should be provided by Joy Fm. This strategy will help resolve the traffic discomforts.

Next is the lack of control at the program. I witnessed a few cases of harassment where some unscrupulous individuals pounced on ladies and attempted one of several acts. I believe it is very possible to make the program enjoyable for everyone. All the red shirts that were to monitor the level of discipline among the attendants had all gathered on the stage watching the stars perform. Whiles many took the law into their own hands and did what they wanted. Is the Trade Fair not under Ghanaian legislation? If so then why should people be allowed to harass others and just walk away with ugly smiling faces? Also is it allowed to walk naked in Ghana? If not, then why it was possible at the Trade Fair and no one seemed to care?

Next is the issue of poor communication at the Fair. I educated well enough to understand that the population of cell phones at the program will cause some connection problems (and I also expect the organizers to know that too). I however also know very well that the communication networks can put up ad-hoc strictures to support communication at the Fair. What is the point in going to an Old Skull re-union just to miss the rare chance of meeting school mates one had not seen in years? Just because one’s network could not support a simple call? I find it somewhat embarrassing when ZAIN is one of the main sponsors and yet experience communication problems at the grounds.

It looks like slowly this program is being abused by certain individuals who lack discipline and moral. Profanity, nudity and Immorality were what I saw for a greater part of the day. I pray the organizers will attend to these pressing issues. Next year will be the 10 edition of this extra-ordinary celebration and I hope the organizing members will go back to the drawing board and make the next Old Skull re-union more enjoyable for everyone.

What do you want to be?

2009-08-24T12:00:00.003+01:00

A few days ago I had a chat with a German colleague and he asked a question I found to be somewhat weird. In our discussion he spoke about his siblings and what they are into or what they would want to do in future. He then posed a similar question to me and I was somewhat taken aback.

To him it was very natural for an 8 year old kid to know what he/she would want to be in the next two decades. I on the other hand thought it was close to impossible to choose your future before you have added a BSc or a BA to your CV. After thinking through it for some time, I realized his approach should have been the natural situation everywhere. But my world obviously does not permit that.

When I was in Class 6, I remember how my classmates and I stood up one by one and mentioned the professions we would want to undertake in future. Just as expected, most of us came up with the fanciful job tags such as the Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers and Pilots without knowing the first things about those jobs. Today I look back and see myself as a software developer, though I wanted to do some diagnosis for the sick or listen to people’s psychological traumas and come up with suggestions. For my other mates who wanted to end up in the courtrooms as lawyers or in cabins commandeering airplanes are not there, they are either in better places or have been pushed by the system to consider other alternatives.

Can’t we live in a world where kids can choose what or who they would want to be and get access to the guidance they would need to make their dreams come to pass? Why someone’s dreams should be shattered just because she engaged in coition with a male and got pregnant. Why should the high school kid be refused admission into the medical school just because he was one A short of the requirement? In the future can my children choose to be like me even before they lose their milk teeth?