The Fourth edition of the African Journalist for Economic Opportunity Training (AJEOT) programme
came to an end successfully on a very high note in Ghana on Sunday, leaving participants empowered
with knowledge and upgraded skills in varied areas of discipline aimed at impacting lives on the personal
and on the national level.
The highly competitive and intensive training programme in economics, governance and public policy
formulation and analysis among others, put together once every year by the Institute for Liberty and
Policy Innovation (ILAPI), for a few selected journalist and public policy oriented institutions in Ghana
and outside Ghana, was most impactful this year despite the slight limitation imposed on free
movement of participants due to strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols.
The 2020 edition which was held at the Summit Lodge in Koforidua in collaboration with the
Conservative Policy Research Center (CPRC) left the members with transformed minds on governance,
new perspectives on the principles of liberty and freedom, as well as a renewed appreciation of public
policy formulation and effective public policy communication.
“The mission of Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation is to provide innovative economic research and
pensive multidisciplinary public policy advocacy through intellectually inspired leadership to help create
freedom and prosperity for a free society.” Said Peter Bismark Kwofie, the Executive Director of ILAPI.
The 25 participants competitively selected from various media houses and other organizations in Ghana,
went home with certificates of participation after the two-day impactful programme. They were
introduced to the ideas of Free Society; Liberal Framework within the Realms of Public Policy
Formulation; Leadership, Business and Economic Prosperity in Africa; free Enterprise and Policy
Communication among others.
Expert Resource Persons treated very salient topics aimed at promoting economic freedom, ease of
doing business and public policy advocacy at the programme, both in person and via Zoom left lasting
impression on the minds of participants.
For instance, the Executive Director of the Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), Peter
Bismark Kwofie, who treated the topic: The Relevance and Principles of Economic Freedom in Modern
Policy Discourse, observed that, “In a good and a better society, there should be fewer hospitals and a
lot of healthier people,” and that the reverse meant that the people in the society were getting sicker.
Emphasizing the thought that the measurement of public policy is dependent on the impact of the policy
in eradicating or minimizing the negative conditions which necessitated the introduction of the policy in
the first place.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Conservative Policy Research Center (CPRC), Ebenezer Nii Oblie
Teflondon, who treated the topic: on the Liberal Framework within the Realms of Public Policy
Formulation, stated that, “Security is the motivation for the establishment of a government. The
legitimacy of a government therefore rests on the benefits it delivers to the individual members of the
society.”
He said, when the political institutions of a nation are not delivering, the economic institutions will also
not deliver. Because the economic institutions depend on the political institutions to create the enabling
environment for the private sector to spur economic growth and create wealth for the society.
Dr. Ike Tandoh, a Public Policy Communication expert told the participants that personal branding and
packaging should taken into serious considerations in the communication process because it can
determine the value of the message being communicated.
“Your personal packaging, your total presentation is part of your communication. It is part of your
advocacy so pay attention to capacity building, honesty, credibility as well as presentation style,” he
said.
Other resource persons who made presentation at the programme included: Franklyn Kudjo of IMANI
Africa; Ghanaian Economist, Isaac Kojo Yalley; Tanja Porcnik from Austria; Professor Opoku Antwi and
Nathaniel Gwamena.
“Though the whole programme was parked, it was very interesting and full of important lessons on
public policy and analysis. I enjoyed every bit of the presentations. I wish we could have this programme
twice a year.” Said Philomina Kuntu-Blankson, a participant Broadcast Journalist from the Rainbow
media network.
Another participant at the programme, Bright Philip Donkor, a Student Journalist from the Ghana
Institute of Journalism, said, “I have learnt a lot of things in this two-day training programme which has
changed my perspective on governance, public policy and the principle of liberty and freedom. This will
influence the impact of my journalism going forward.”
The programme which was put together by the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), was in
collaboration with the Conservative Policy Research Center (CPRC), IMANI Center for Policy and
Education, Atlas Network, and the Network for a Free Society.
Source: Clement Akoloh||africanewsradio.com