Mr Felix Kwakye-Ofosu, the Minister for Government Communications, has underscored the critical role of communicators and Public Relations (PR) professionals in navigating today’s global uncertainties.
He urged them to rise to the challenge of bridging divides and inspiring collective action.
The Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3-day International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Conference, held under the theme, “Global Realities and Innovative Communication,” in Accra.
The 2025 PR Knowledge Sharing conference was organised by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana in collaboration with the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and the IPRA.
It brought together global leaders in communications from across the world to explore how strategic communication is evolving in response to global shifts, with a strong emphasis on communicating Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Africa’s development and employing effective communication to help address the issue of Galamsey.
He said technology was rewriting the rules of engagement, geopolitical shifts were redefining alliances and priorities, and environmental and social challenges were demanding new approaches to problem-solving.
“The world increasingly relies on communicators to provide clarity in these complex times,” he added.
Mr Kwakye-Ofosu highlighted the essential role of communication in Government, stressing that effective messaging was central to building trust between leaders and citizens.
He pointed to the Government’s “reset agenda” and its livelihood enhancement initiatives, emphasizing that such programs succeeded only when citizens understood, accepted, and participated in them.
The Minister pledged the Government’s continued support for PR practitioners, including the modernization of platforms like Bonsu with AI tools to ensure faster and clearer communication.
He also confirmed progress on the IPR Bill, which was currently under review by the Attorney General, describing it as a “vital step” toward giving PR legal recognition, ethical grounding, and professional protection in Ghana.
He called on communicators across Africa to reshape global perceptions of the continent.
“It is the duty of communicators to change that narrative to tell Africa’s story with honesty, confidence, and innovation,” the Minister said.
He urged professionals to embrace AI responsibly, warning that the future of PR would favor those who adapted creatively to technological change.
Madam Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, the President, IPR Ghana, called on PR professionals to adopt innovative and disciplined approaches in addressing global challenges, stressing that effective communication remained the bridge between problems and solutions.
She noted that while the world faced numerous pressing issues, many of which were man-made, there were also countless human-driven innovations designed to improve lives.
However, she cautioned that the full potential of such innovations often goes unrealized due to weak or ineffective communication strategies.
“The world has a lot of issues, but we also have a lot of beautiful innovations. What often stands between addressing the issues or leveraging the innovations is a lack of communication or effective communication,” she said.
Madam Cobbah emphasized that this challenge was not unique to Ghana but was a global reality, highlighting the need for communication professionals to step forward with fresh strategies.
“Communication is a professional discipline. It is not just about talking, sharing ideas, or publishing stories about national problems”
“We need to take innovations, understand them, understand the people who are expected to benefit from them, and develop disciplined, innovative, effective approaches for engaging their minds to resolve the issues or enable them to work with the innovations,” she stressed.
She urged communicators to go beyond surface-level engagement, indicating that communication must be intentional, strategic, and people-centered if it were to drive change.