Kwami Ahiabenu,II Knowledge Chief

  Communiqué de presse Niamey Niger , 29 Decembre 2010 Le projet sur les Elections en Afrique   (AEP)   couvrira les élections législatives et présidentielles au Niger 2011 Le projet sur les Elections en Afrique   (AEP)  http://www.africanelections.org/niger  couvrira les élections législatives et présidentielles qui se tiendront le Lundi 31 Janvier 20011 pour élire le président de la république et les 113 membres du Parlement.  AEP a été mis en place en 2008 pour renforcer les journalistes à couvrir les élections   grâce aux Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication à travers le continent   AEP a couvert avec succès les élections au Botswana, Namibie, Ghana, Guinée, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritanie, Mozambique, Malawi, et au Togo. Les prochaines étapes du projet sont   la couverture des élections au Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda et   Cameroun.   L'équipe d' AEP a lancé ce jour, le projet   AEP-Niger à Niamey au cours d'une session de formation qui a ...

Because Accountability Counts – A Journalist guide for covering post-elections in Ghana is one of the key building blocks for Ghana Post-elections Intervention Project whose main objective is to help overcome the challenges and problems affecting citizens' ability to hold elected representatives accountable for promises they make during pre-election campaigns. The guide's main objective is to empower journalists and other stakeholders with an information and knowledge resource for playing the watch and guide dog role in holding elected officers accountable. It provides an overview of post-elections landscape of Ghana, covering governance, legislative issues, political parties and their manifestoes,ruling party, opposition and governing after an election and provides guides for covering: 1. Parliament, Political Parties, Ruling Government (mapping campaign promises & manifesto), Opposition and Key Governance Issues 2. Investigative journalism and post-elections coverage 3. ...

We are running up the coverage of Guinea runoff with the declaration of provisional results by Guinea Electoral Commission Chief - Siaka Toumany Sangare The results shows  Alpha CONDE of RPG earning 1,474,973 votes representing 52.52% of votes cast while his rival Cellou Dalein DIALLO of UFDG closely followed  with  1,333,666 votes (47.48%) We are now looking forward to Cote d'Ivoire second run elections scheduled to take place on 28th November 2010 between Laurent Gbagbo and  Alassane Ouattara Hopefully launch coverage of Niger 2011 elections soon as well follow us at http://twitter.com/africanelection join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117355568298287

As the number of mobile phone subscribers in Ghana increases, so does the market for mobile money services. The majority of Ghanaians lack any formal bank account. Kwami Ahiabenu II reports on how mobile money could change the shape of financial transactions in the country. By Kwami Ahiabenu II An estimated 80 percent of Ghanaians are "unbanked" – meaning they conduct their transactions outside the banking sector with no access to financial services. Products like "mobile money," that enable safe and secure money transfers without the use of a bank account, could have a major impact on this unserved segment of the population. Mobile money gives anyone with a mobile phone the ability to transfer money, make cash payments and conduct other financial transactions over the phone. Mobile money is a relatively new phenomenon in Ghana. It was first introduced by the telecom company MTN a year ago. MTN Mobile Money operates in partnership with nine banks. Cur...

Mobile phones turned citizens into election observers in Guinea's landmark presidential election. The technology will also be used to help voters in the upcoming September run-off poll. By Kwami Ahiabenu II On June 27, 2010, Guinea held what is widely being hailed as the nation's first freely run democratic election since gaining independence in 1958. A run-off between the two presidential candidates earning the most votes will take place on September 19, 2010. Another first in this landmark election process is the use of mobile phone technology. Mobile phones have become a preferred means of communication in Africa because they are convenient and affordable relative to other methods. Most countries on the continent are now recording the use of mobile phones by all key stakeholders in their elections: from electoral officials, political parties and individual candidates, to electoral security agencies, civil society organizations, and local and international obse...

Kwami Ahiabenu,II Introduction Ghana can be counted among leading countries in West Africa's information and communication technology (ICT) space; its industry is growing with new developments being recorded each passing day. In recognising the potential of ICTs as an important tool, the government and industry stakeholders are aggressively pushing to accelerate the growth and development of the country in all sectors. Ghana's Extractive Economy with weak Industrial Base At independence, the Ghanaian economy was relatively robust and well supplied with natural resources, skills and finance with an average per capita income of US $600.(1957). Over time, however, the structure of the economy has not seen any significant change, it is still an extractive-based economy with gold, timber and cocoa constituting its main sources of foreign exchange. Another key characteristic of its economy is a heavy dependence on international financial and technical assistance in all...

The West African Media Development Fund opens it doors to facilitate the growth of media in the region. AudienceScapes interviewed the fund's CEO about their plans to sow the seeds of a vibrant and pluralistic media sector. By Kwami Ahiabenu II The growth and development of the media as a business venture in West Africa is hindered by a number of factors. The region possesses a limited professional capacity to produce journalism, operating a media outlet is expensive, access to credit facilities is limited and the cost of borrowing is typically high. These factors are threatening the growth of pluralistic media in the region. To solve some of these challenges, media funds have been established to provide media organizations with affordable and readily available lines of credit. Examples of media funds active on the continent include country-based funds like the Tanzania Media Fund , regional funds like the Southern Africa Media Development Fund , and at the global leve...

ACCRA- GHANA -PROGRAMME DETAILS:   DAY-1 – 18    AUGUST 2010   7.00 am-10.00am - REGISTRATION .............................................................................................................................................. 9.30am WELCOME COCTAIL RECEPTION & CULTURAL PERORMANCE BY     THE GHANA DANCE ENSEMBLE. .............................................................................................................................................. 10.00 am –10.05 am - INTRODUCTION & WELCOME: MRS - DEMAY ALARBI 10.05 am– 10.15am - CHAIRMAN OPEN REMARKS - PROF. KWAMI KARIKARI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Media Foundation For West Africa-MFWA) 10.15 am -10.25 am- ADDRESS BY DIRECTOR OF AMDMC- BARIMA ADU-ASAMOA 10.25am- 10.50 am- OFFICIAL OPENING ADDRESS BY H.E. JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMAH - THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF GHANA. 10.50am – 11.10am - CHAIRMAN CLOSING   REMARKS     *GROUP PHOTOGRAPH - ALL DELEGATES AND VIPS ........................

The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) will run training on election reporting for print-media journalists in the country between now and early August, this year. The MCT Manager for Publications, Research and Documentation, John Mireny said a total of 230 journalists will be trained under the programme supported by the UNDP Election Project Support (EPS) for Tanzania for the 2010 general elections. Nine trainers who will conduct the election reporting training began a five-day Training of Trainers (TOT) course at the MCT headquarters in Dar es Salaam on July 12. Two facilitators – one Tanzanian Fili Karashani of Tanzania Press Centre and a Ghanaian - Kwami Ahiabenu,II   a consultant at  African Election Project,  are running the course attended by editors and senior editors drawn from a number of media  houses and media training centres. According to the MCT Executive Secretary, Kajubi Mukajanga, the course is intended to hone the professional skills of the journalists in covering  the...