Marketing Is Now a Regulated Profession in Ghana

Every practising marketer in Ghana is now legally required to hold a recognised professional qualification and register with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), the Institute’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Kwabena Akuamoah Agyekum, has made clear in a fresh call for compliance with the country’s marketing regulatory framework.

Agyekum pointed to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana Act, 2020 (Act 1021) and its accompanying Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana Regulations, 2023 (Legislative Instrument 2479) as the legal foundation that placed marketing firmly among Ghana’s regulated professions. Sections 24 and 52 of Act 1021, together with sections 3, 4 and 5 of Legislative Instrument 2479, set out the requirements for qualification, registration and ethical conduct that all practising marketers must meet.

The Professional Marketing Qualification (PMQ), administered by CIMG, is the primary route available to practitioners who want to attain recognised status and comply with the law. First launched in April 2021, the qualification has since attracted candidates from across the country through a network of accredited study centres that offer both in person and virtual tuition. Agyekum described the PMQ as the most structured pathway for marketers to deepen their competence, secure professional credibility and meet their legal obligations in one go.

The call is directed at marketers working in corporate organisations, agencies, small and medium enterprises, the public sector and consultancy firms alike. Agyekum stressed that regularising professional status is not an administrative formality but a legal obligation that also serves the public interest. He said that compliance signals credibility, protects consumers and lifts the overall standing of marketing as a profession in Ghana.

Beyond qualification, the regulations also require practitioners to engage in continuing professional development and to uphold ethical standards at all times. Sections 6 through 14 of Legislative Instrument 2479 give CIMG the authority to take action against unprofessional marketing practices, a power the Institute intends to exercise as part of its broader regulatory mandate.

CIMG, which was founded in 1981 and received its Presidential Charter through Act 1021 in 2020, has also offered an Accelerator Programme as an alternative entry point for practitioners who need a faster route to compliance. The Institute reaffirmed its commitment to making professional certification accessible through flexible study options and continuous professional development programmes across its accredited centres nationwide.