Category: Daily Guide Network

ýThe European Union (EU) has awarded 446 Ghanaians with the prestigious Erasmus+ Scholarship Programme for 2026. This year’s scholarship awards include 28 students for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, 14 of whom have received full scholarships to study in top universities across Europe, and 418 students and staff selected under International Credit Mobility, the short-term exchange programme.

ýýSpeaking at the event, the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, highlighted that these figures are important, but what matters even more is what they represent: ‘real opportunities, real ambitions, and real stories of transformation. This effort is made possible through a strong Team Europe approach.’

ýýThe Erasmus+ Programme is the EU’s flagship mobility initiative to support education, training, youth and sports in Europe under its Global Gateway initiative with a strong focus on social inclusion, green and digital transitions and promoting young people’s participations in democracy and efficient governance.

ýýThe Ambassador expressed EU’s pride in welcoming the new scholars, saying, ‘the EU is certainly proud of welcoming you to our top academic institutions in Europe, but today is not only a celebration of your success, it’s also a celebration of partnership between Ghana and Europe, between institutions and, above all, between people.’

ýýHe further underscored the broader scope of studying abroad, stressing that study opportunities in Europe are much more than academic achievement alone, ‘they are about learning, about discovery, about exchange and about building the skills and networks that will shape your future. They are also about strengthening mutual understanding and deepening the ties between Ghana and EU.’

ýýHighlighting the financial commitment to youth empowerment, he noted that the European Union attaches great importance to education, youth and mobility. The EU Global Gateway initiative, Youth Mobility for Africa, dedicates pound 970 million towards youth exchanges and mobility between Africa and Europe, including Erasmus+ and other initiatives.

ýý’Through Erasmus+, we invest in people, in knowledge, and in long-term partnerships. Since 2014, 3,618 Ghanaian students and staff have travelled to Europe for study, training or teaching opportunities,’ the Ambassador disclosed.

ýýEmphasising the collaborative nature of the initiative, he stated that this effort is made possible through a strong Team Europe approach. ‘Promoting Study in Europe and Ghana is a shared endeavour. In partnership with GIZ, through the Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development, we have established a network of ‘Study in Europe’ desks in 30 Ghanaian universities.’

ýýAccording to him, these desks play an important role in raising awareness of opportunities in Europe by providing information sessions and counselling on Erasmus+, as well as on programmes offered by Campus France and DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service.

ýýLooking beyond the academic period, he urged continuous engagement, stating, ‘We want your journey with the EU not to end when the scholarship ends, and this is why we are looking to build a stronger alumni community to keep young beneficiaries of EU programmes engaged, connected and informed about future opportunities.’

ýý’Also, we are proud to work closely with ASAF, the African Student Alumni Forum, which plays an important role in connecting and mobilising young alumni across the continent, as well as with the Erasmus Mundus Association, and I’m also grateful for the presence of the Erasmus Plus National Focal Point,’ he added.

ýýConcluding his address, Ambassador Skinnebach encouraged students to be curious, ambitious, as well as open to new ideas, to new friendships, and to new perspectives. He charged them to learn as much as they can and carry Ghana proudly with them, reminding them that they are not only students, but future leaders, professionals, and bridges between Ghana and Europe, adding that, he ‘hope to see them come back as EU ambassadors to Ghana.’

Access Bank (Ghana) Plc has challenged youth-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a critical driver of innovation, competitiveness and sustainable growth, urging entrepreneurs to ‘disrupt or be left behind’ in an increasingly digital economy.

The call was made at the BUILT Powered by Access U AI Business Sprint, an entrepreneurship and capacity-building workshop organised by Astra Roster in Accra to equip young business owners with practical AI skills to strengthen their brands, improve productivity and scale their enterprises.

The Sprint forms part of Access U, Access Bank Ghana’s flagship platform for empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs through knowledge, innovation and strategic partnerships that unlock opportunities for growth and economic inclusion.

Speaking at the event, Nana Akuffo, Head of Youth Banking at Access Bank Ghana, described AI as ‘the great equaliser’ – a force that enables businesses to compete, innovate and expand regardless of their size or stage of development.

‘AI gives you the chance to seize new territory and fundamentally redefine how business gets done, regardless of where you’re starting from. The entrepreneurs who embrace it today will be better positioned to lead tomorrow’s economy,’ he added.

Nana Akuffo pointed to Africa’s rapidly changing demographics as both an economic opportunity and an urgent call to action, noting that by 2050, the majority of the continent’s population will be under the age of 25.

He said the demographic shift makes investment in youth entrepreneurship and digital capabilities essential to Africa’s future prosperity.

‘The question is no longer whether this shift is coming. It’s already here. The question is whether you will be among those who lead it. Africa’s economic future is being built today by its young entrepreneurs, and they must be equipped with the tools and skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving global marketplace,’ he stated.

He added that AI is not simply another business tool but a transformative force reshaping industries worldwide.

According to him, it enables young entrepreneurs to overcome traditional barriers to growth, including limited access to capital, networks and operational capacity.

Technologies that once required years of investment and institutional support are now within the reach of entrepreneurs willing to apply AI strategically to improve efficiency, enhance customer experience and unlock new markets, he said.

The Gbese District Court in Accra has granted the extradition of Daniel Yusif, aka Denteni, aka Slab, an alleged co-conspirator of Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, to the United States to face charges of wire fraud in an alleged $8 million romance scam targeting elderly Americans.

The court has given him 15 days within which to challenge the extradition, a failure for which he will be flown out of the country to stand trial over his alleged role in the romance scam charges.

Daniel Yusif, 31, and his alleged accomplice, Abu Trica, also 31, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The two are facing up to 20 years’ imprisonment if found guilty of the charges leveled against them.

Yusif was arrested by security officers in January 2026 after he attempted to leave the country through the Accra International Airport.

He has since been a subject of extradition proceedings before the Gbese District Court following the unsealing of Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) indictment tied to romance scam and wire fraud investigations.

Abu Trica has already been arraigned in Northern District Court of Ohio, presided over by Judge John R. Adams, where he pleaded not guilty to the offences.

He was extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026, after his multiple legal challenges against the extradition failed.

DOJ Allegations

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says Abu Trica and Daniel Yusif were part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023.

Court records allege that from about April 2023 to November 2025, Abu Trica was part of a criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from elderly United States citizens.

Abu Trica and Yusif, according to the DOJ, acted as leaders of a group that used online dating sites and social media to identify and target their victims, who were often widows or divorcees.

‘Kumi employed advanced techniques including artificial intelligence (AI)-driven video platforms to engage with the victims under fictitious female personas. Others involved in the deception leveraged Ghanaian associates to communicate directly with victims via encrypted apps and by phone, to maintain the false identities used to facilitate the fraud,’ the DOJ said.

It further pointed out that ‘after being misled by false stories or gold or diamond inheritances, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members.’

Portions of the funds were allegedly further provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere, with the statement noting that Abu Trica and other co-conspirators used money mules based in Ghana, and contacts in the Ghanaian immigrant community in the US, to launder millions of dollars through fake businesses and bank accounts.

‘Kumi allegedly used his ill-gotten gains to acquire luxury vehicles and other items of value. Assets seized by international law enforcement partners included a mansion in Ghana, a Lamborghini, Tesla Cybertruck, Mercedes Benz, and BMW,’ the statement said.

‘Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Additionally, his ill-gotten gains are subject to forfeiture,’ the DOJ further clarified.

It also clarified that if convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

‘In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum,’ it said.

Government has deposited GHS400 million as initial capital for the proposed Women’s Development Bank and says the institution is expected to begin full operations before the end of 2026.

The update was contained in the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review presented to Parliament by Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson.

According to the Minister, the Women’s Development Bank was formally incorporated on 26th January 2026 as WDB GH LTD.

Following the incorporation, the government submitted an application to the Bank of Ghana for the requisite banking license to enable the bank to commence operations.

Capital Requirement Met

To meet the licensing capital requirement, he said the Ministry of Finance has deposited GHS400 million into an account with the Bank of Ghana as seed capital for the new bank.

Officials said the deposit fulfills a key condition for regulatory approval.

Dr. Forson said the Women’s Development Bank is being established to expand access to finance for women entrepreneurs, traders and SMEs, and to support women-led businesses across the country.

The review stated that the bank is expected to commence full operations before the end of the year, subject to final approval from the Bank of Ghana.

The announcement forms part of government’s broader agenda under ‘Resetting for Growth, Jobs, and Economic Transformation,’ with a focus on financial inclusion and job creation.

Actress, Vivian Jill Lawrence, is mourning the sad loss of her elder sister, Mabel Adwoa Intuah, popularly known as Aunty Mabel, who reportedly passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Mrs Intuah was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mayan Stitches, a fashion brand.

Her death comes just weeks after reports that she celebrated her 50th birthday.

A video circulating on social media shows the grieving actress in tears at the airport as she travelled to Accra following the sad news. In the emotional clip, Vivian Jill appears visibly heartbroken while receiving support from people around her.

Another video also captured the actress walking through the airport with two men by her side as she prepared for her journey.

The news of Mabel Intuah’s passing has shocked many, with fans and well-wishers expressing their condolences to Vivian Jill and her family on social media.

Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has hosted a delegation of Dagbon chiefs. The mission of the high-powered traditional delegation is to formally inform him about the passing of the late Ndan Ya Naa Abukari Mahama II, which sad incident occurred recently.

The former Vice President, who is also the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), eulogised the late Dagbon King and prayed for his soul. Picture shows Dr. Bawumia and his guests during the visit.

The Clinical Coordinator for Family Health University Medical School (FHMS), Dr. Anim Boamah, has reminded healthcare practitioners not to strive for professional excellence alone, but to also align their operations with integrity and ethical leadership.

He explained that marrying the three principles together was the surest way of providing the best healthcare needed by all Ghanaians and the rest of the world, as well as the provision of the needed leadership for effective healthcare delivery.

Dr. Anim Boamah made the call when he delivered an address during the launch of the 2026 Family Health University Medical Students Association (FHUMSA) week celebration in Accra on Monday.

The week-long annual event will see the students engaging in various activities such as a health walk, health screening, and socialisation, among other events.

He stated that although professional excellence was very critical for the healthcare givers, there was the need for patients to trust the caregivers, which could only be asserted through integrity and ethical leadership.

Speaking on the theme ‘Advancing Healthcare through Professional Excellence, Integrity, and Ethical Leadership,’ the Clinical Coordinator commended the leadership of the Medical Students for the theme since it was apt.

‘Since the best healthcare systems are built on collaboration among doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, administrators and many others, respect every member of the healthcare team,’ Dr. Boamah said.

The Ledzokuku Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr. Gifty Ofori Ansah, urged doctors not to restrict their services only to the consulting room, within the walls of their hospitals, but engage in community services towards health improvement and disease control, which is critical for a healthy life.

‘Beyond the white coat, the role of the medical students in building healthy communities cannot be overemphasised, because medicine is not just about treating diseases but it is also about understanding why people get sick in the first place and how to prevent it as well,’ she said.

The President of FHUMSA, Bernard Opoku Junior, in his welcome address, said, ‘This week is more than just celebration as it is an opportunity to promote unity, leadership, service, and professional growth among us as future doctors, as our theme, Healthy Communities, Strong Nation: Empowering Medical Students to Drive Change.’

An Associate Professor of Pediatrics in charge of Travel Abroad Programmes, Evelyn Aboagye, and her students from the University of Virginia extended their warmest congratulations and best wishes to the Family Health University Medical Students’ Association as they celebrated their Students’ Association Week.

‘We are proud of the growing partnership between the University of Virginia and Family Health University. Through our shared commitment to education, service, and global collaboration, we continue to learn from one another while preparing the next generation of compassionate, skilled, and socially accountable healthcare leaders,’ she said.

The Family Health University Medical Students’ Association, through the MSA Fund and the Ivy Naana Durowaa Fund (INDF) – Office of the Vice President (2025/2026) has donated GHS5,000 to Cure Childhood Cancer Ghana in support of children battling cancer, including patients receiving care at Ridge Hospital.

This contribution reflects FHUMSA’s commitment to improving child health outcomes, supporting vulnerable patients, and contributing to the fight against childhood cancer in Ghana.

The Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF-MahamaCares) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to improve specialist healthcare delivery in the Volta Region and neighbouring areas through enhanced patient support, infrastructure development and advanced medical services.

The renewed commitment was made during a high-level engagement between the management of the two institutions, where officials reviewed the implementation of the GMTF Patient Support Programme, assessed lessons from its pilot phase and outlined measures to improve service delivery.

Discussions also centred on harmonising medicines and tariff structures, strengthening communication between the two institutions and inspecting a proposed site for the construction of a state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at the Ho Teaching Hospital.

The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Madam Obuobia Darko-Opoku, announced that government had approved the commencement of the retooling project for the Ho Teaching Hospital, describing the facility as one of the Fund’s key strategic partners.

She commended the hospital for its role as the premier referral and teaching hospital serving the Volta Region and adjoining communities.

Madam Darko-Opoku explained that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund was established to reduce the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases through four strategic pillars: providing financial support to patients, investing in medical equipment and infrastructure, training specialist healthcare professionals and supporting medical research.

She said the pilot phase of the Patient Support Programme had yielded encouraging results despite some implementation challenges, praising the hospital’s commitment to ensuring that eligible patients received timely access to quality healthcare.

‘The engagement has also provided an opportunity to share experiences, address operational challenges and develop practical solutions that will strengthen programme delivery and improve patient outcomes,’ she stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr. Hintermann K. K. Mbroh, expressed appreciation to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund for selecting the hospital as a strategic partner under the initiative.

He described the approval of the hospital’s retooling project and the planned Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory as landmark interventions that would significantly enhance specialist healthcare delivery.

According to him, the interventions are in line with the hospital’s strategic vision of expanding access to advanced, patient-centred healthcare while positioning Ho Teaching Hospital as a leading centre of excellence in Ghana and the West African sub-region.

Member of Parliament for Ho Central, Richmond Edem Kofi Kpotosu, described the interventions as timely and said they would significantly improve healthcare delivery in the Volta Region.

The Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, also commended the dedication of the hospital’s management and staff, and called for sustained government support to strengthen specialist healthcare services for the benefit of patients.

Officials indicated that the engagement would continue with a technical session to deliberate on programme implementation and explore additional strategies to deepen collaboration between the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and the Ho Teaching Hospital to improve patient care and health outcomes.

Government says the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund is expected next week to approve the final review of Ghana’s Extended Credit Facility programme and a new 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) to anchor the next phase of economic reforms.

Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed this during the presentation of the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review in Parliament today.

‘Under the leadership of His Excellency President Mahama, Ghana is not going back. Ghana is moving forward,’ he told Parliament.

Dr. Forson said the approval of the final ECF review will bring to a successful conclusion Ghana’s financial bailout programme.

The Board is also expected to approve a 36-month PCI. He explained that the PCI is a non-financing arrangement designed for countries that no longer have, and are not expected to face, balance of payments needs.

According to him, the PCI will anchor the next phase of reforms, strengthen macroeconomic resilience, support broad-based growth, and signal government’s commitment to sound and disciplined economic policies.

The Minister said the PCI will support reforms across six priority areas includes, maintaining growth-friendly fiscal consolidation, preserving debt sustainability, strengthening fiscal transparency and governance, enhancing monetary and exchange rate policy frameworks, reinforcing financial sector stability, promoting economic diversification and inclusive growth.

He added that the programme will include 26 reform targets and quantitative benchmarks, which will be monitored through semi-annual reviews to ensure sustained implementation.

Dr. Forson stated that government’s strong implementation record, together with the successful execution of the PCI, will strengthen Ghana’s path toward investment-grade status.

He said this will also enhance the country’s ability to mobilise concessional and development financing for productive public investment.

‘The Government that has delivered these results over the past eighteen months has earned the trust to continue implementing the reforms that will secure Ghana’s long-term prosperity,’ he added.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has maintained the monetary policy rate at 14% citing stable domestic economic conditions and growing uncertainty in the global economy especially the renewed conflict in the Middle East and its potential impact on inflation.

The Governor, Dr. Johnson Asiama, who announced this at a press briefing after the 131st Monetray Policy Committee Meeting (MPC), said the committee agreed to keep the policy rate the same as the current monetary policy stance.

‘Given these considerations, the committee, by a unanimous decision, maintained the monetary policy rate at 14.0 percent,’ he said.

‘The committee judged that the current policy stance remains appropriate to guide inflation into the medium-term target band while allowing time to assess the evolving geopolitical developments and their potential impact on the domestic economy,’ he added.

Dr. Asiamah explained that although geopolitical tensions briefly eased in mid-June, the renewed escalation of the Middle East conflict has disrupted global energy markets following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

‘Crude oil prices have rebounded above 85 dollars per barrel following the renewed conflict. Together with supply chain disruptions, this is expected to further slow the pace of disinflation across several countries,’ he stated.

According to the Governor, the renewed inflationary pressures have prompted many central banks to pause their monetary policy easing cycles, while heightened uncertainty could tighten global financing conditions, with implications for emerging economies such as Ghana.

On the domestic front, the Governor mentioned that Ghana’s economy remained resilient during the first quarter of 2026, recording real GDP growth of 6.4 percent, driven largely by the services and industrial sectors.

He added that the Bank’s Composite Index of Economic Activity (CIEA) also pointed to sustained improvements in economic performance.

Dr. Asiamah highlighted that there was improvements in monetary conditions adding that reserve money and broad money supply recorded significant growth, while government Treasury bill rates, the Ghana Reference Rate and average commercial bank lending rates all declined.

On the external sector, the committee said the economy continued to post strong performance, underpinned by robust export earnings from gold and cocoa despite a sharp increase in the import bill due to higher energy costs.

He noted that the country’s current account surplus widened while gross international reserves stood at 12.9 billion dollars at the end of June 2026, equivalent to five months of import cover.

The Policy Committee added that despite a decline in reserves resulting from increased energy-related payments, Dr. Asiamah said the country’s reserve position remains adequate to support the economy against external shocks.