Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal is Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture. Before his appointment, he was the Minister for Business Development. He was adjudged the Most Business Oriented Minister of Africa, Designing Economic Development through Innovative Solutions. He was also named the Best Performing Minister and the Most Outstanding Minister in Ghana for 2018 and 2019 respectively. Dr. Awal was Ghana’s Marketing Man of the Year, ‘2009’. Among other laurels, he has been accredited with developing an entrepreneurship policy for Ghana.

During his tenure as Business Development Minister, Dr. Awal served as a Special Envoy of the President to a number of countries such as Hungary, Morocco, Italy, Central African Republic, Kenya, and Guinea Bissau on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). He also led business delegations to a number of countries including the United States of America, India, Turkey, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, United Kingdom, Qatar, and Portugal.

Dr. Awal is committed to improving the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ghana. He has worked as a consultant for a number of organizations where he offered consultancy services in the areas of business strategy, management, marketing, and communications. Dr. Awal has also consulted for Diplomatic Missions, Development partners as well as state institutions.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng holds a Degree from the University of Ghana and a master’s in Business Administration from the Henley Management College Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. While studying for his Masters’s, he worked as a Marketing Consultant at the American Medical Systems (AMS) of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and a Housing Officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington, Chelsea. He was a public servant as a store assistant at the Ghana Medical Stores in Kumasi.

He started out as a political activist and then became the president of the Madina Students Union and the secretary of the Central Committee of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) from 1979 to 1982.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng is a former member of parliament for the Mfantseman Constituency. He won the parliament seat in the year 2004 after he contested in the general elections.

Bhupesh Raseen is a confident business leader with vast experience across diverse industries including Mobile Phones, Spa-Wellness, Film and entertainment, etc.  He is graduated from Delhi University. He has qualified for the professional training programme on Manufacturing and Marketing Management from F.O.L., New Zealand and the training programme on Excellent Customer Service from Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Zealand.  He has also qualified for the Professional Spa Certificate-Master Programme from Asia Spa Institute, Singapore. 

Bhupesh is an accomplished executive with domestic & international experience in operations. He has successfully created & managed multichannel product distribution, marketing, business development, corporate affairs and government relations activities for both start-up & growth organizations globally.

Bhupesh is honorary Chairman-Mobile Advisory Committee-TMA, India; Board Member-Ghana India Advisory Chamber, Accra, Ghana;  Board Member-Film Federation of Ghana, Accra, Ghana; Board Member-African Tourism Board, South Africa and Board Member-Malaysian Global Indian Economy Development Association, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dr. Kirt Henry is a Jamaican-born thinker, researcher, writer, and advocate of CULTURE whose academic interests explore the intersections between dress, identity, spirituality, sexuality, and performance within the African diaspora. In particular, my doctoral study engages a conversation on the materiality and performativity of dressed bodies in ritual spaces of one of Jamaica’s indigenous 19th-century religions – Revivalism. I am currently working on my book manuscript entitled, A Me Dis!: Gender, Identity and Performance in Revivalism.

As a practicing academic, He lectures at The UWI, Mona in subject matters engaging African Religious Retentions in the Caribbean, Caribbean Fashion, and Material Culture and Identity in the Caribbean. He is passionate about using heritage, culture, and history as subject categories for the empowerment of marginalized peoples within society.

Dr. Henry is the Prime Minister’s National Youth Awardee for Excellence in the category of Academics and also an author in the British Academy’s Writing Programme and a curatorial fellow in the Afro-Caribbean Art program in New York City.

Henry Antoine, President of the World Carnival Commission, was involved in taking the Trini-style Carnival global. He is also the Chief of the Rada Community in Belmont, a community from which emerged several artists, such as pan man Dudley Smith and calypsonian Seadley “Penquin” Joseph.

Henry Antoine moved to Toronto from Trinidad and Tobago in 1968, he tells the story of an important musical moment for Carnivals which led to the birth of soca. Soca is an infectious beat, with the rhythm to move your soul and Henry was a Congas player. His love for good music made him a manager for Lord Shorty in 1972.

Mohamed Raaidh, Managing Director of Maldives Integrated Tourism Development cooperation. He was appointed as the Managing Director of MITDC with the primary goal of contributing to the economic growth of the nation by expanding possible avenues of the tourism sector through the systematic and planned development of integrated tourism in this industry.

His vision is to integrate community-based tourism in the Maldives and to bring local island tourism to new heights. He strives to make his vision a reality by acting as a strong advocate for community-based tourism & sustainable development for islands, at various international forums.

Alisa Osei-Asamoah is the president of the Tour Operator’s Union of Ghana (TOUGHA). The purpose is to promote domestic tourism and also sustain the businesses of tour operators. TOUGHA is recognized by the Ghana Tourism Authority GTA and it is also a member of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) and above all affiliated to other continental and global tourism organizations.

TOUGHA as an organization has achieved a lot under the leadership of Mrs. Alisa Osei–Asamoah, she has also played an important role in the implementation of Government initiatives on tourism eg;  #ExperienceGhana and #ShareGhana, etc., which will let citizens and diasporans see the beautiful lands, rhythms and culture of Ghana.

He has been appointed as the Senior Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism by the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Emo. Mr Onung, practical commitment to the promotion and development of workable strategies through positive collaboration and the engagement of public and private sector practitioners for a purposeful agenda to grow the tourism economy in Nigeria has earned him this new position.

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