Category: Daily Guide Network

THE ORGANISERS of the Face of Ghana Youth Awards (FOGYA) have officially announced the 6th edition of the awards scheme, scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the Nathan Anang Quao Auditorium, CLOGSAG Headquarters, Accra.

The Face of Ghana Youth Awards is an annual flagship event dedicated to recognising, celebrating, and honouring outstanding young Ghanaians who are making significant contributions to national development across various sectors, including leadership, entrepreneurship, arts, media, innovation, advocacy, and community service.

According to the founder, Destiny Riverson Bentil (Majesty), this year’s ceremony will be held in an elegant dinner-style format, promising an atmosphere of excellence, inspiration, and celebration. The red carpet experience will commence at 5:00 p.m., followed by the main awards ceremony at 6:00 p.m.

Entertainment for the night will be powered by DJ Xtra (Atinka FM) and DJ Glore PK (Top FM), ensuring a vibrant and memorable experience for guests and nominees alike.

Special guests to be honoured include Sista Afia, Okyeame Kwame, Jay Foley, DJ Mensah, and Agnes Opoku.

Tickets can be purchased online via www.glintafrica.com, or by contacting 024 775 7707 for reservations and inquiries.

FOGYA 2026 is organised by Glint Africa in collaboration with key partners and sponsors who continue to support youth empowerment and excellence in Ghana.

The organisers extend an invitation to corporate bodies, stakeholders, media partners, and the general public to join in celebrating the resilience, innovation, and impact of Ghana’s youth.

AFC Bournemouth have completed the signing of highly-rated Hungary midfielder Alex Toth from Ferencváros in a deal worth £10.4 million, as the Premier League club continues to strengthen its squad in the January transfer window.

The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Cherries, with the agreement also including up to £2.6 million in performance-related add-ons and a 10 per cent sell-on clause in favour of the Hungarian champions.

Toth attracted strong interest across Europe, with Benfica, Galatasaray and Lazio all understood to have monitored his situation closely before Bournemouth moved decisively to secure his signature.

Speaking after completing the move, the defensive midfielder expressed his delight at joining the south coast club.

‘When I knew AFC Bournemouth were first interested in me, I was excited and happy because this is a good club in the Premier League, the best league in the world and the strongest league,’ Toth said. ‘The whole club, the whole structure is great.’

Toth arrives in England with growing international experience, having already earned nine caps for Hungary. He has spent his entire club career in his home country, including a loan spell at Soroksár during the 2023-24 season.

He made his senior debut for Ferencváros in December 2024 and has since featured 52 times for the league champions, scoring four goals while also gaining valuable experience in European competitions.

Bournemouth’s head of football operations, Tiago Pinto, believes the young midfielder is well equipped to make the step up.

‘He has come from a club that is used to competing at the highest level in Hungary, while also featuring in Europe, so we’re excited about what he can bring to us in Bournemouth as he continues to develop further under the coaching of Andoni [Iraola],’ Pinto said.

Africa’s leading provider of secure national and digital identification solutions, Margins ID Group, has secured a contract to design, build, finance, co-operate and transfer a National ID System and an Integrated Digital ID System for the government of The Gambia.

The landmark agreement, signed on January 19, 2026, represents a defining milestone not only for the company, but for Ghana and the broader African technology ecosystem.

‘This achievement reflects a new chapter where African technology is designed, trusted and deployed across Africa,’ the Group said.

The tender process, which commenced on Monday July 22, 2024, attracted 11 international companies, reflecting strong global interest in the project. Following a comprehensive technical and financial evaluation, three firms were shortlisted, with Margins ID Group emerging as the successful bidder based on superior technical design, competitive advantage, and proven delivery capacity.

‘This contract is a defining moment for African digital identity innovation,’ said Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Margins ID Group, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Baiden Jnr. described the agreement as a historic milestone and underscored the role of a national identification system as core national infrastructure that underpins governance and access to services.

‘This is a historic milestone,’ Mr. Baiden Jnr. said. ‘We are deeply grateful to the Government of The Gambia for the trust they have placed in us.’

Mr. Baiden Jnr. emphasised that the system being deployed in The Gambia represents an evolution informed by experience, not a replication.

‘What we are doing here in The Gambia is not a replication of any regional system,’ he said. ‘It incorporates evolved architecture and enhanced security controls. We have taken the lessons learned from Ghana and built an even stronger, more seamless national identification ecosystem for The Gambia.’

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior for the Gambia, Matar Ceesay, noted that the project had been under development for an extended period and had involved a whole-of-government approach.

‘This is something that has been in the works for a while,’ he said. ‘That is why government institutions across the board have been involved and have carried out their respective due diligence.’

He added that The Gambia is looking forward to a tailored solution.

Referencing Ghana’s experience, the Minister expressed confidence in the partnership.

‘The Ghana Card system is an example for Africa,’ he said. ‘Margins has done good work, and we are hopeful that this time, we have gotten it right.’

He emphasised the importance of capacity-building and commitment.

‘Knowledge transfer is very important to us,’ the Minister said. ‘The Government is fully invested in making this project successful.’

The implementation of the new identification system will modernise governance in The Gambia, enhance service delivery, and strengthen data protection and privacy for citizens. It will simplify access to healthcare, financial services, education, and digital public services, while establishing a robust foundation for e-government services, interoperability, and sustainable economic growth.

The project stands as a powerful example of Africa-to-Africa collaboration and aligns with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area, reinforcing regional integration and the ability of African enterprises to compete successfully on merit.

Italian fashion legend, Valentino Garavani, has died at the age of 93, his foundation announced on Monday.

In a statement, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti said the designer passed away at his home in Rome, surrounded by loved ones. Lying in state will be held on January 21 and 22 at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli, with his funeral scheduled for Friday, January 23, at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome.

Known simply as Valentino, the designer dressed generations of royalty, first ladies and Hollywood stars, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan. ‘I know what women want,’ he once said. ‘They want to be beautiful.’

Celebrated for his timeless elegance rather than edgy trends, Valentino enjoyed a career spanning nearly five decades, from the 1960s in Rome to his retirement in 2008. His refined designs made him a red-carpet favourite for global A-listers.

His gowns featured prominently at the Academy Awards, including Julia Roberts’ iconic black-and-white dress in 2001 and Cate Blanchett’s butter-yellow silk gown in 2004.

The First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Zakari Mumuni, has cautioned that poorly reported economic issues by the media can create unnecessary panic in the foreign exchange market, even when underlying conditions remain stable.

Speaking at the Governor’s New Year media engagement at Bank Square in Accra recently, Dr. Mumuni explained that Ghana operates a managed floating exchange rate regime in which daily movements, small appreciations or depreciations, are normal and reflect routine market trading rather than economic distress.

He noted that when such movements are reported without proper explanation or context, they can trigger fear-driven behaviour, prompting individuals and businesses to seek to protect value, artificially increase demand for foreign currency, and ultimately heighten market volatility.

‘In this sense, reporting itself becomes a market signal. Confidence in the cedi can weaken not because fundamentals have changed, but because sentiment has,’ Dr. Mumuni said.

He added, ‘Responsible, measured reporting has the opposite effect; it reinforces calm, encourages rational behaviour, and allows markets to function more efficiently.’

He stressed that the media is not merely an observer of economic events but also a transmitter of confidence and a shaper of public sentiment, often becoming an unwitting participant in market dynamics.

‘How the actions of the Bank of Ghana are reported. How they are explained, framed, and contextualized has real consequences for households, businesses, and investors,’ he added.

Dr. Mumuni also underscored that currency stability is not an abstract macroeconomic concept but one with direct implications for the daily lives of Ghanaians.

According to him, stability enables businesses to price goods with confidence, allows investors to plan effectively, and assures workers that their earnings will not lose value overnight.

He further highlighted the unique role of central banks in national life, describing them as public institutions that act in the interest of citizens while remaining operationally independent from short-term political pressures.

He explained that the Bank of Ghana regulates banks, manages the national currency, provides banking services to government, and serves as custodian of financial stability, hence the need for responsible reporting on its activities.

Dr. Mumuni warned that sensationalism can amplify anxiety, while incomplete context can distort public understanding.

Conversely, he said balanced and informed reporting can stabilise expectations and strengthen confidence, noting that perception often precedes reality.

Touching on recent performance, the First Deputy Governor said the cedi ended 2025 significantly stronger, reflecting improved economic fundamentals, disciplined policy implementation, and growing confidence in the monetary framework.

He described the outcome as ‘not a victory for the central bank alone, but a shared national gain,’ stressing that while instability harms everyone, stability benefits all.

Dr. Mumuni also called for greater context in reporting on central bank losses, explaining that such losses are not unique to Ghana and often arise when central banks take decisive actions in the public interest during periods of economic crisis.

‘When this distinction is not clearly explained, public trust can be eroded. Yet trust is the very foundation upon which monetary policy rests,’ he said.

‘The thrust of policy must not be lost – inflation fell sharply, reserves were rebuilt, and the cedi strengthened. These are the outcomes that ultimately matter to citizens,’ he noted.

Across Africa, smallholder farmers remain the backbone of food production and the key to meeting rising demand for affordable, nutritious protein. Nowhere is this more evident than in the poultry sector, where many farmers, especially women and young people, depend on predictable markets, quality inputs and supportive policies to grow their enterprises.

Poultry is one of the fastest-growing job creators in rural Africa and offers young people real opportunities to build profitable enterprises, enter value-added services and participate in a modern, tech-enabled food economy. The next two decades in Africa will be shaped by how well the continent connects food system innovation, technology adoption and the energy of its young population. Poultry is one of the clearest examples of where these forces come together to drive real prosperity.

In the coming decade, innovations in feed technologies, digital advisory tools, climate-smart sourcing and regional market integration will shape how competitive African agriculture becomes and how many opportunities it creates for young agripreneurs. Africa’s long-term prosperity will come from food systems that are modern, tech-enabled, youth-powered and designed around smallholders who drive our continent’s growth.

Yet one constraint continues to define the pace and competitiveness of the poultry sector. Feed costs, which account for nearly 70% of production expenses, determine whether smallholders can produce profitably, whether micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can scale, and whether countries can build stable poultry markets capable of meeting domestic and regional demand.

Smallholder farmers

Addressing systemic barriers

Lowering feed costs and improving its availability, as well as diversifying feed solutions, are the quickest levers Africa can pull to strengthen its poultry economy and unlock wider impact.

Through the Southern Africa Poultry Initiative, AGRA is working with governments in Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and others to address these system-level barriers in a coordinated way.

National Poultry Delivery Labs are helping governments align policies, strengthen grain and feed supply chains and create predictable environments that encourage private investment. Malawi’s Delivery Lab is reducing bottlenecks in local feed manufacturing. Tanzania and Mozambique are refining their national poultry strategies to better align with regional priorities.

In Zambia, reforms and infrastructure upgrades are improving grain supply and the efficiency of the feed sector. These efforts show what becomes possible when countries shift from fragmented approaches to shared action.

These actions are not technical fixes in isolation. They represent a broader shift toward a more productive and technology-enabled food economy that can support millions of new jobs for a rapidly growing youth population.

Technology for Africa’s food economy

In the coming decade, innovations in feed technologies, digital advisory tools, climate-smart sourcing and regional market integration will shape how competitive African agriculture becomes and how many opportunities it creates for young agripreneurs.

To build on this momentum, a Poultry Feed Accelerator Challenge was launched by AGRA, building on the experience and network of the Food Innovation Hubs global initiative. This targeted effort aims to support MSMEs with practical solutions to lower feed costs and expand farmers’ access.

From improved formulation technologies to climate-smart ingredient sourcing, the challenge focuses on innovations that can scale quickly and directly improve farmer profitability. More affordable feed means more resilient smallholders, stronger youth-led enterprises and a more stable supply of affordable protein for African consumers.

Africa’s prosperity over the next 20 years will come from sectors that combine innovation, technology and youth-powered enterprise.

The Poultry Futures Forum, held in November 2025, brought together governments, development partners, investors and industry leaders to accelerate national reforms, strengthen regional coordination and spotlight innovations that make poultry production more competitive for smallholders.

The momentum on poultry is growing and provides an opportunity to co-design the next phase of transformation. While poultry is our focus here, similar lessons are emerging in aquaculture as well.

Through the efforts of the World Economic Forum’s Food Innovators Network, we are seeing how improvements in feed systems, value chain coordination and policy alignment can catalyse growth for small-scale fish producers.

Initial efforts are emerging in Ghana through the development of a Blue Food Innovation Hub, focused on driving innovation across feed, production, and final products.

Building resilience in protein systems

Initial efforts are emerging in Ghana, focusing on driving innovative solutions across feed, production and product. The links between poultry and aquaculture, especially around feed costs and quality, highlight the broader opportunity to innovate and diversify Africa’s protein systems to build long-term resilience.

Meaningful change requires solutions that reflect the realities of farmers and raise the opportunities for youth agripreneurs, complemented by predictable policies and investment climates that reward innovation. Leaders must prioritise innovations that reduce costs, support MSMEs that already serve extensive farmer networks and scale systems that protect production in a changing environment.

Africa’s prosperity over the next 20 years will come from sectors that combine innovation, technology and youth-powered enterprise. Poultry and blue foods are two of these sectors. With farmer-centric, innovation and market-focused collaboration models, Africa’s food economy can become more competitive, inclusive and sustainable, lifting farmers, energising rural economies and strengthening the continent’s future.

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has signed an agreement with Gold Coast Refinery to refine one metric tonne (1,000 kilogrammes) of gold locally every week.

This is aimed at adding value to gold exports beginning February 1, 2026.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, said the agreement with Gold Coast Refinery and its partner, Rand Refinery, forms part of government’s broader strategy to ensure that gold exported from Ghana undergoes full value addition.

He explained that Rand Refinery of South Africa, which is the only London Bullion Market Association (LBMA)-accredited refinery in Africa, is expected to strengthen technical and managerial capacity and support the country’s efforts to establish its own LBMA-accredited refinery.

According to Mr. Gyamfi, a visit by GoldBod officials to Gold Coast Refinery last year revealed that the facility, described as the largest gold refinery in the sub-region, was operating far below its installed capacity.

This, he said, was largely due to the fact that more than 99 percent of the country’s gold exports from both small-scale and large-scale mining are shipped abroad in raw form.

‘As a government, it did not make sense that we would have such a critical national asset and yet continue exporting almost all our gold without refining it locally,’ he said.

‘This prompted discussions with the refinery to revive its operations and integrate it fully into Ghana’s gold value chain,’ he added.

Mr. Gyamfi said the partnership signals government’s commitment not only to local refining, but to doing so sustainably, with full traceability and in strict compliance with LBMA guidelines.

He noted that the collaboration would result in a significant presence of Rand Refinery in Ghana and accelerate the country’s journey towards establishing its first LBMA-accredited refinery.

He explained that the agreement, which has undergone rigorous scrutiny by the GoldBod governing board and the sector minister, will be implemented in phases, with the ultimate objective of achieving total local refining of all gold exported from Ghana.

Under the agreement, gold refined locally will achieve a minimum purity of 99.5 percent, with the refinery capable of producing even higher grades.

He added that the state holds a 15 percent free carried interest in Gold Coast Refinery, held in trust by the Ghana Gold Board.

Highlighting the benefits of the deal, Mr. Gyamfi said local refining would retain millions of dollars currently paid to foreign refineries, create direct and indirect jobs in line with government’s 24-Hour Economy policy, increase tax revenues and boost foreign exchange earnings.

He added that the agreement would address long-standing issues of purity losses and undervaluation of gold exports by enabling fire assay, the global gold standard, to be conducted locally before and after refining.

For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Gold Coast Refinery, Dr. Said Deraz, said the facility, commissioned in November 2016, had faced operational challenges in the past, but the agreement marked a turning point towards full-scale operations.

He said Gold Coast Refinery is a modern, fully equipped facility with the capacity to process up to 180 metric tonnes of gold annually and holds all required licences to refine gold from ethical and responsible sources.

Dr. Deraz confirmed that the refinery has concluded a technical, operational and commercial partnership with Rand Refinery, which will significantly accelerate Ghana’s efforts to establish its first LBMA-accredited gold refinery.

‘With this agreement, Gold Coast Refinery will receive gold from the Ghana Gold Board, refine it locally and export the finished product.

‘This value addition will increase export earnings, create jobs and support Ghana’s industrialisation agenda,’ he said.

The ceremony was attended by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ken Ashigbey; the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Yusif Sulemana; the Board Chairman of GoldBod, Kojo Fynn; and other key stakeholders in the gold value chain.

Mass demolition of temporary structures along the Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway has begun to pave way for the redevelopment of the 73 kilometre road under the government’s ‘Big Push’ initiative.

It would be recalled that a colourful ceremony was organised in October last year during which President John Mahama cut the sod for the reconstruction of the road.

The mass demolishing started last Monday.

Temporary structures along the highway that have not yet been evacuated risk being demolished.

The mass demolition exercise started from the PTC Interchange area towards Shama. Temporary structures still resting on the shoulders of the highway are being demolished.

A visit to some of the areas yesterday revealed occupants of some of the temporary structures attempting to salvage belongings before the demolitions.

The Municipal Engineer for Effia Kwesimintsim, Ishmael Adusei, who is supervising the exercise, explained that the contractors are no longer entertaining any further delays in the evacuation.

He indicated that authorities have granted affected persons enough time to relocate.

He, however, mentioned that persons and businesses that have already begun evacuation have until yesterday, to complete the process, or else have their properties demolished.

‘If you have started evacuating, we will still consider you. If you already have your carpenters removing the structure, we will not demolish it. We will skip to the next structure.

‘We are clearing all structures at both sides of the road,’ he pointed out.

The High Court in Accra has granted an injunction restraining musician Shatta Wale and media personality Afia Schwarzenegger from making any further defamatory comments about broadcast journalist Kwasi Aboagye.

The court ruling followed their failure to enter appearance after being duly served through substituted service, as ordered by the court. Lawyers for Kwasi Aboagye successfully applied for default judgment.

The case arose from a TikTok live session on May 6, 2024, during which the two allegedly made damaging claims accusing the Peace FM presenter of criminal conduct, impotence and infidelity.

The comments spread rapidly across social media, attracting widespread criticism.

Kwasi Aboagye, represented by lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini, filed the suit in late 2024 after the defendants allegedly refused to retract or apologise, instead daring him to go to court.

He is seeking GHS8 million in damages. On October 15, 2025, the court granted a perpetual injunction stopping Shatta Wale and Afia Schwarzenegger from publishing further defamatory statements. The case now moves to the damages stage, where the court will assess compensation for reputational harm.

Ghana and China have signed a US$30 million grant agreement to support the construction of a new university in Damongo, which marks another milestone in the longstanding development partnership between the two countries.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa.

Dr. Forson, speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama Ghanaians, expressed appreciation to Ambassador Tong for his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations between Accra and Beijing.

He noted that although the Ambassador’s tenure in Ghana was relatively brief, it coincided with the successful conclusion of two major grant agreements of significant national importance.

These include funding for the construction of a multipurpose market in Aflao and the US$30 million grant earmarked for the establishment of the university in Damongo.

According to the Finance Minister, the projects reflect China’s continued support for Ghana’s development priorities, particularly in infrastructure and human capital development.

Dr. Forson also highlighted the broader role of Chinese investment and cooperation in Ghana’s economy, reaffirming the country’s appreciation of its historic relationship with China, which he said dates back to the era of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and Chairman Mao Zedong.

The Finance Minister stressed the need to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries by addressing inefficiencies in bilateral trade.

He indicated Ghana’s interest in exploring trade settlements in the Ghanaian cedi and the Chinese renminbi (RMB) to reduce exchange losses associated with the use of third-party currencies.

‘Reliance on intermediary currencies is costly and inefficient when trade is conducted directly between Ghana and China,’ Dr. Forson said, adding that discussions on alternative settlement arrangements would be pursued at the policy level, including engagements with the Bank of Ghana.

For his part, Ambassador Tong expressed gratitude to the Finance Minister and the Government of Ghana for the cooperation and support extended to him during his tour of duty.

He congratulated Dr. Forson on Ghana’s improving economic performance and said he was proud of the current state of Ghana-China relations.

The outgoing Ambassador said he was particularly encouraged by the tangible outcomes achieved within a short period, especially in the area of development cooperation, and expressed optimism that the strong ties between the two countries would continue to deepen beyond his tenure.