Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama stood before the country's top journalists on Saturday evening and made a commitment: the central bank would start putting real resources into building the next generation of financial reporters in Ghana.
Speaking at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards at the Palms Convention Centre, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, on November 7, 2026, Dr Asiama personally announced the creation of the Governor's Economic and Financial Story of the Year Award — a new prize that goes well beyond a trophy.
What Winners Actually Get
The prize package is unusually substantive. Winners will receive sponsorship to attend either the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings or Annual Meetings — gatherings that most Ghanaian journalists never get a seat at. They will also walk away with a laptop computer and a one-year internet data subscription.
That is just the starting point. The award also unlocks access to professional fellowships at institutions including the Thomson Foundation and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, as well as accredited local journalism training centres. Scholarships for further studies in media, communications and related fields are on the table, alongside professional exchange programmes with international media organisations like Bloomberg and Reuters.
Why BoG Is Doing This
Dr Asiama was direct about the motivation. Topics like monetary policy, inflation, financial sector reforms, exchange rate movements and digital financial innovations are genuinely difficult to explain — and when they are explained poorly, it costs ordinary people.
"It is through accurate, balanced, and insightful reporting that these issues are translated into information citizens can understand and use," Dr Asiama said.
He framed the media not as an observer of economic developments but as an active partner in public understanding. For a central bank, that framing matters — it reflects how much credibility depends on what gets reported and how it is framed for everyday Ghanaians.
Dr Asiama also tied the initiative directly to the effectiveness of the Bank's own policies. "Our policies are most effective when they are clearly understood by the public. Transparency, credibility, and accountability require open and effective engagement with all stakeholders, including the media," he said.
A Bet on Specialised Reporting
Economic and financial journalism has long been an underfunded niche in Ghanaian media. Most newsrooms do not have dedicated economics desks, and reporters covering the beat often juggle it alongside general news. The BoG's move signals an institutional recognition that this gap has real consequences — for markets, for households, and for public trust in financial institutions.
"Our objective is simple: to invest in the development of journalists who can continue to elevate the quality of economic and financial reporting in Ghana," Dr Asiama said.
The award is expected to run annually, giving reporters a concrete target to aim for — and a reason to go deeper on stories about the economy that might otherwise get light treatment.
The 30th GJA Media Awards was a landmark night for Ghanaian journalism. The Multimedia Group was among the big winners on the evening, taking home multiple honours at the same ceremony where BoG's new initiative was unveiled.