Fatimatu Abubakar, Deputy Minister-designate for Information
The Deputy Minister-designate for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has stated that she will champion an initiative to empower the youth who are into entrepreneurship to expand their reach and enter into new markets.
According to the ministerial nominee, when given the nod her interest will be to assist businesses and entrepreneurs to better market and grow their businesses by enabling access to new markets through the use of technology and digitalization, as we are in an era of digital marketing.
“I will help, through existing programmes at the ministry, to make sure that entrepreneurs are able to do the necessary packaging and branding so they will meet world standards, especially in this era of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to access markets beyond the shores of Ghana,” she said.
Growing up in a zongo community and having a fair idea of the challenges of trade and economic hardship of women in these communities, she promised to be a voice for the women in those communities and seek to channel economic empowerment initiatives to such social groups.
Culture of silence
Commenting on the issue of a culture of silence in the country, she stated that the context within which it was used is no longer prevalent in the country, as the 1992 Constitution of Ghana opened up the space for private media and subsequently repeal of the criminal libel law.
“From the 1992 Constitution and the liberties which have been given to the media under Article 21 and other legislation, the kind of successes and rights we have gained as a country when it comes to polarisation of the media space is overwhelming.
“The last time I checked on the National Communication Authority (NCA) website, at the end of second quarter 2020, there were some 475 radio stations and 146 television stations – including online and social media platforms. Although some people would like to create the impression that there is a creeping culture of silence, it is not what I see existing today,” she said.
She urged the traditional media to take up the role of deepening sensitisation on the effects of negative publicity and the need to verify and ensure that whatever is published is factual, which is what the new broadcasting bill is seeking to do.
Prior to her nomination, Fatimatu Abubakar was the Deputy Director of Communication at the Office of the President, Jubilee House.