In the tech world, it is often said that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. For Robert Appiah, this isn’t just a slogan; it is the lived reality that drove him from a high school with no computers to the forefront of global product innovation. Today, he is a man on a mission: to ensure that “The System” never stands in the way of Ghanaian talent again.

GhanaWeb sat down with Robert Appiah to discuss his journey from Kumasi to the global stage, his “miracle” scholarships, and his life as a relentless builder.

The Foundation: Grit, Evening School, and the “Hustle”

GhanaWeb: Your journey began in Kumasi. At that time, did you feel the “digital divide” we often talk about?

Robert Appiah: Absolutely. In high school, the digital divide was a physical reality for us. We had almost no access to computers. That disadvantage stayed with me. Even when I got to Pentecost University, I initially leaned toward a Business major because I thought I had missed the boat on IT.

But I realized that if I didn’t face that challenge, I’d be leaving my future to chance. I switched to BSc Information Technology with a particular mission: I wanted to spend my life figuring out how to democratize learning so that the next kid from a high school like mine wouldn’t feel the same “lag” I did.

GhanaWeb: We’ve heard your university days weren’t exactly a typical student experience. You were working full-time while studying?

Robert Appiah: I didn’t just want to be a student; I wanted to be a full-fledged professional before I graduated from university. My schedule was a test of endurance: I worked 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at places like ECG, Barclays, and OmniBank (now OmniBSIC), then headed straight to evening school from 5:00 PM until 11:00 PM. Balancing that workload taught me a level of discipline that you simply can’t learn from a textbook. I carried that into my National Service at NITA (National Information Technology Agency), where I served as a telecom and QA engineer building core infrastructure for ministries, MMDAs, and public agencies.

The “24-Hour Miracle”: Beating the Gatekeepers

GhanaWeb: Many young Ghanaians are cynical about scholarship schemes. You almost didn’t apply for the Commonwealth scholarship for that very reason?

Robert Appiah: I was very cynical. I saw how schemes like GetFund and the scholarship secretariat often felt like “who-you-know” systems. I almost talked myself out of applying, but I found the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, a fully funded, merit-based, highly competitive scholarship by the UK government, at the last possible minute, and applied to the University of Bath on the final day.

After a long wait, I actually received a rejection email first! But 24 hours later, they reached out to apologize for the mistake. I was actually one of the top awardees for a full-ride scholarship in Software Systems. It proved that merit can win, but only if you show up to play.

Democratizing the Scholarship System: ScholSec

GhanaWeb: You eventually returned to this problem of “fair access” to scholarships by helping build a solution for Ghana. Tell us about the ScholSec platform.

Robert Appiah: I never forgot the anxiety of that application process. I wanted to build a system where your “connections” didn’t matter, only your “competence” did. I always wondered how this could be solved, and, thankfully, as part of the government’s broader digitization agenda that started in 2017, I was part of the team contracted to help build the first version of the Scholarship Secretariat (ScholSec) platform.

Working in collaboration with GIFEC and the Scholarship Secretariat, our goal was to automate and democratize the process by which bright and needy students in Ghana apply for and receive funding. Since its launch, the platform has digitized the process, removing much of the human bias and funding the education of thousands of students both locally and abroad. It’s one of the projects I am most proud of because it solved a problem I personally lived through, turning a closed-door process into an open digital gateway.

The Ghana Skills and Employability Summit

GhanaWeb: You’ve also moved into high-level advocacy by organizing the Ghana Skills and Employability Summit. What was the goal behind that initiative?

Robert Appiah: The summit was about bringing the ecosystem together. We cannot solve the unemployment crisis in silos. We got together policymakers, industry leaders, and educators to talk about the “Skills Gap” in real terms. The goal was to align our national training with global market demands. We wanted to move the needle from “mass graduation” to “mass employability.” It’s about creating a roadmap for the Ghanaian youth to be competitive, whether they are in Accra, London, or San Francisco.

Beyond the 9-to-5: A Global Builder of Tools

GhanaWeb: You are currently leading product innovation at a global scale, but you are famously known as a “Builder” who never stops. What are you working on outside of your corporate life?

Robert Appiah: I am a builder at heart. I don’t settle for a 9-to-5 mindset. I’ve developed natophonetic.com, a tool designed to master phonetic communication, which now serves thousands of global users. I am also building tutorr.io, which uses AI to make high-quality, personalized tutoring accessible to everyone. I have several other big projects in the works that share a common DNA: using AI to solve the education and communication barriers I faced growing up.

Maximizing Opportunity: How to Use AI to Learn

GhanaWeb: For someone in Ghana today who feels “behind,” how can they use AI to catch up?

Robert Appiah: AI is the great equalizer. Today, AI allows you to have a world-class tutor in your pocket 24/7. To maximize it:

●Identify Skill Gaps: Use AI to map the skills global companies are hiring for and ask it to build you a custom learning roadmap.

●Move from Theory to Building: Don’t just read. Use AI to help you write code or draft a business model. The goal is to build things that people can actually use.

From Research to Senior Product Leadership

GhanaWeb: After your time in the UK and your research at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, how did you rise so quickly in the corporate world?

Robert Appiah: When I joined my current company, I started as an intern. Even with two masters master’s degrees and a research background, I was willing to learn from the ground up. Because of that “hustle” mentality I developed in Ghana, I quickly became a Subject Matter Expert. I’ve since been promoted to Senior Product Leadership. Today, I lead product innovation for Human Capital Management, deciding the what, the why, and the strategy for what gets built to serve millions of learners globally.

The Blueprint for the Next Generation

GhanaWeb: Robert, what is your final message to the young Ghanaian reading this?

Robert Appiah: Talent is everywhere in Ghana, but you have to turn that talent into a “product.” Don’t wait for “connections.” Use AI to bridge your skill gaps, work those late hours, and apply for that “impossible” scholarship. My journey proves that a kid with no computer can end up architecting the systems that the whole world uses. The only limit is the one you accept.

The Member of Parliament for the Kumawu Constituency, Ernest Yaw Anim, has donated assorted platform effects and essential working tools to drivers and riders operating within the constituency, in a move aimed at improving livelihoods and strengthening grassroots economic activity.

The intervention forms part of the MP’s ongoing engagement with key professional groups whose daily work underpins transportation, commerce, and local economic growth in Kumawu.

Drivers and riders, widely regarded as the backbone of community mobility, were the direct beneficiaries of the support.

Presenting the items, Ernest Yaw Anim reiterated his commitment to the welfare of transport operators, describing them as indispensable partners in constituency development.

He noted that beyond transporting people, drivers and riders play a crucial role in linking communities, facilitating trade, and sustaining social and economic interactions across Kumawu.

“Drivers and riders are indispensable to our development agenda. When they thrive, the entire community benefits,” he said, adding that his office remains focused on initiatives that directly improve the lives of hardworking constituents.

According to the MP, the donation is part of a broader strategy to empower working-class groups, particularly those in the informal sector who face daily operational and financial challenges.

He explained that targeted support of this nature is essential for enhancing productivity and building a resilient local economy.

“This support is intended to motivate our drivers and riders to continue their hard work while easing some of the burdens associated with their daily operations,” he noted.

Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as timely and impactful. They stated that the support reflects responsive, people-centred leadership and pledged their continued cooperation towards peace, unity, and sustained development in the Kumawu Constituency.

The donation, observers say, underscores Ernest Yaw Anim’s hands-on approach to leadership and his focus on addressing practical needs at the grassroots level, while reinforcing the importance of community-based interventions in driving local development.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Africa’s renewed refinery drive gathers pace

Ghanaian musician and producer DeThompsonDDT has emerged as one of the leading nominees at the 9th edition of the Western Music Awards, earning six nominations across major categories.

He is nominated for Artiste of the Year, Best Highlife Artiste, Best Producer, Most Popular Ghanaian Song, Most Popular Regional Song, and Best Highlife Song, underscoring his versatility and growing influence within Ghana’s music industry.

Organised by Westline Entertainment, the Western Music Awards was established in 2017 to celebrate and promote musical talent from Ghana’s Western Region.

Over the years, the scheme has evolved into a prestigious platform that recognises artistic excellence while supporting the region’s creative economy.

The 2025 edition, themed “Rhythm of Success,” was launched in Tarkwa and emphasises collaboration, cultural advancement, and consistency in artistic output. The main awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Tarkwa on December 27, marking a significant milestone in the awards scheme’s history.

Central to DeThompsonDDT’s recognition is his hit single Honourable Waawe, which became one of the most popular songs in Ghana following the 2024 general elections.

The song’s relatable lyrics, infectious rhythm, and strong cultural appeal turned it into a nationwide sensation.

In its early stages, many listeners mistakenly believed the song was performed by award-winning musician Nacee, a misconception that heightened public curiosity and further boosted its reach. Once confirmed as DeThompsonDDT’s work, the track firmly established him as a rising force in Ghanaian music.

Beyond his success as a recording artiste, DeThompsonDDT has built a solid reputation as a music producer. He has worked with several top Ghanaian musicians, including Obaapa Christy, ASP Kofi Sarpong, Rose Adjei, Obaaya Grace Ashley, and Dada Hafco, producing songs that skilfully blend traditional Highlife with contemporary influences.

This dual strength as both performer and producer has earned him a nomination for Best Producer, further validating his technical expertise and creative range.

His nominations for Most Popular Ghanaian Song, Most Popular Regional Song, and Best Highlife Song reflect the commercial success and cultural impact of Honourable Waawe, while the nods for Artiste of the Year and Best Highlife Artiste highlight his rising stature within the industry.

As anticipation builds ahead of the awards ceremony on December 27, DeThompsonDDT’s multiple nominations reinforce his position as one of Ghana’s most influential musical voices of the year, with a career poised for even greater heights.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

play videoThe confrontation intensified when Dr Kokofu insisted that prices of some essential goods

An exchange over the rising cost of living, particularly the price of rice, dominated discussions on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Thursday December 26, 2025, as Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, locked horns with former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu.

The clash unfolded during a broader debate on Ghana’s economic performance, import substitution and the impact of government policies on household prices, with rice emerging as the most contentious example.

The confrontation intensified when Dr Kokofu insisted that prices of some essential goods, including rice, had gone down, citing a stronger cedi and improved import conditions.

However, Pratt disagreed, questioning the real-life impact of these claims on ordinary Ghanaians.

He challenged Kokofu’s assertion by pointing to what he described as the lived reality of consumers, arguing that any supposed reduction in prices was not being felt widely.

At the peak of the exchange, Pratt bluntly told Kokofu, “You’re the only person who is still buying expensive rice. Whoever supplies you rice is a cheat. Stop buying rice from the person because the rice I buy, it’s come down…maybe you are buying the imported rice.”

Pratt suggested that if Kokofu was still paying high prices, then either his supplier was “cheating” him or he was shopping from “special places” detached from the realities of the ordinary market.

The discussion quickly shifted to the distinction between locally produced rice and imported brands.

Kokofu maintained that he patronises Ghanaian rice and claimed its price had not reduced in his experience.

What Kwesi Pratt Jnr said about Randy Abbey’s COCOBOD appointment

Pratt countered by accusing Kokofu of indirectly supporting imported rice, arguing that cheaper imports driven by access to foreign exchange were undercutting local rice farmers and processors.

According to Pratt, importers benefit from relatively cheaper dollars, allowing them to flood the market with foreign rice at prices local producers cannot match, thereby threatening Ghana’s domestic rice industry.

“Those producing rice locally cannot compete with them on the market,” Pratt argued.

AM

Also, watch below Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ documentary as the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025

The wait is over! The GhanaWeb Excellence Awards 2025 is officially launched. Let’s Celebrate impact, innovation and excellence across Ghana.

Who deserves to be honoured this year?

Nominate now 👉 https://ghanaweb.com/ghanaexcellenceawards/nominate

Ghana’s history is marked by courtroom battles that shaped both family legacies and national politics. The Ofori-Atta family, long influential in Akyem Abuakwa and Ghanaian public life, has repeatedly found itself at the center of high-profile cases. From the Kyebi Ritual Murder of 1944, defended by nationalist leader Dr. J.B. Danquah, to the current extradition proceedings against Ken Ofori-Atta, one theme stands out: the family’s determination to mount spirited defenses, no matter the cost.

The Kyebi Ritual Murder Case (1944)

• Background: Six months after the death of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I (Okyenhene of Akyem Abuakwa), the Odikro of Apedwa, Nana Akyea Mensah, disappeared. His body was later discovered, sparking what became known as the Kyebi Ritual Murder.
• Accused: Several members of the Ofori-Atta family were implicated in the killing.
• Defense: Dr. J.B. Danquah, a nationalist lawyer and political leader, mounted a vigorous defense, employing every legal strategy available.
• Outcome: Despite Danquah’s efforts, some accused were convicted and executed. The case shook colonial Ghana, influenced debates in Britain, and accelerated nationalist agitation for independence.
• Legacy: The case became a symbol of how law, politics, and family honor intertwined in Ghana’s colonial era.

The Ken Ofori-Atta Extradition Case (2025)

• Background: Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta faces extradition proceedings amid allegations tied to financial mismanagement.
• Defense Team: Led by Enayat Qasimi, a U.S.-based partner at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, described by Ghana’s Attorney General as a “top-notch international lawyer.”
• Strategy: Qasimi has argued that the case is politically motivated, emphasizing Ofori-Atta’s willingness to cooperate with Ghana’s legal processes.
• Significance: His appointment underscores Ghana’s judicial modernization, where international counsel is engaged to ensure fairness and credibility.

📊 Parallels Between Past and Present

• Family Tradition of Defense:
• 1944: J.B. Danquah fought fiercely for Ofori-Atta family members in the Kyebi case.
• 2025: Enayat Qasimi leads Ken Ofori-Atta’s defense with global expertise.

Legal Arsenal:

• Then: Appeals, petitions, and colonial legal maneuvers.
• Now: International law, cross-border defense strategies, and global scrutiny.

Public Impact:

• Then: Case influenced nationalist politics and independence debates.
• Now: Case highlights Ghana’s integration into global judicial standards.

The Ofori-Atta Legacy in Ghanaian Law

The Ofori-Atta family’s legal battles are more than personal struggles—they are part of Ghana’s institutional memory.

• Courtroom Recording Systems (1997): Ghana’s modernization of judicial processes, including courtroom recording, reflects the same drive for transparency that underpins today’s international defense strategies.
• Coalition Advocacy: Civic campaigns against corruption and for accountability echo the family’s historical insistence on defending honor and reputation.
• Institutional Memory: Documenting these cases ensures that future generations understand how law, politics, and family legacy shaped Ghana’s path toward reform.

Civic Education Takeaway
The Ofori-Atta family’s history illustrates how law, politics, and family legacy intertwine in Ghana’s public life. From the colonial courtroom battles of J.B. Danquah to today’s international defense strategies, the family has consistently treated legal challenges as matters of survival and reputation.

This continuity is not just “a family thing” but also a reflection of Ghana’s evolving judicial culture—where high-profile cases become arenas for testing the strength of institutions, public trust, and modernization.

Epilogue: The Ken Ofori-Atta Extradition Case

In the end, no amount of international counsel or courtroom maneuvering will substitute for the moral courage of the individual at the center of the storm. If Ken Ofori-Atta genuinely believes he is not guilty, then the path before him is clear: he must return home, stand before Ghana’s courts, and face the law with the same God-fearing integrity he has projected to the nation.

Why This Matters

• Personal Responsibility: A man who claims innocence must demonstrate it openly, not from afar.
• Faith and Integrity: To be God-fearing is to embrace accountability, even when the stakes are high.
• National Healing: By facing the law, Ofori-Atta would not only clear his name but also help restore public trust in Ghana’s institutions.
• Legacy: History remembers those who confront challenges with courage. Choosing transparency over evasion would strengthen both his personal legacy and Ghana’s democratic journey.

✍️ Civic Education Takeaway
Justice is not only about legal defense—it is about moral responsibility. For Ghana to move forward, its leaders must embody the values they preach: accountability, transparency, and faith in the rule of law. If Ken Ofori-Atta truly believes in his innocence, then the greatest service he can render to himself and to Ghana is to come home, face the law, and clear his guilt before the people and before God.

Sources

• GhanaWeb – Meet Ken Ofori-Atta’s “top-notch” international lawyer
• Webbers Choice – US Lawyer Claims GRA-SML Case is Politically Driven, Defends Ofori-Atta
• GHNewsNow – How the Kyebi Ritual Murder of 1944 Accelerated the Campaign for Ghana’s Independence
• JSTOR – Kyebi Ritual Murder Case, Colonial Ghana

Retired Senior Citizen
Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]

Strategic Communication Brief
Addressed to the Office of the Attorney-General

Introductory Call for Attention

Attention is demanded, not requested. At this critical juncture, the nation cannot afford silence or hesitation. The Attorney-General’s office stands at the center of public expectation, where justice must not only be done but be seen to be done. Enayat Qasimi’s own words have illuminated the path—statements that, when placed against the backdrop of Ghana’s constitutional mandate, strengthen the state’s narrative and reinforce the urgency of decisive action.

To: Office of the Attorney-General, Republic of Ghana

For Publication: Modern Ghana Platform

Objective
Capitalize on defense counsel Enayat Qasimi’s public statements to reinforce the legitimacy of Ghana’s judicial processes and demand accountability from former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

Key Defense Statement

• “The case is politically motivated.”
• “My client is willing to cooperate with Ghana’s legal processes.”

Strategic Messaging Opportunities

• Frame Cooperation as Duty, Not Choice
• Position Ofori-Atta’s “willingness to cooperate” as an obligation under Ghanaian law.
• Emphasize that cooperation means returning home to face trial, not contesting from abroad.

Neutralize Political Motivation Claim

• Highlight that even the defense acknowledges Ghana’s courts as the proper venue.
• Stress that accountability is about justice, not politics.

Public Trust Narrative

• Use Qasimi’s words to show that Ghana’s judiciary is recognized internationally.
• Reinforce that transparency and due process are being upheld.

Legal Leverage in Extradition

• Cite defense admissions of cooperation in international proceedings.
• Argue that there is no barrier to Ofori-Atta returning voluntarily to Ghana.

Suggested Talking Points for AG’s Office

• “We welcome Mr. Ofori-Atta’s stated willingness to cooperate. The most appropriate way to demonstrate this is to return to Ghana and face the courts.”
• “Justice in Ghana is not political—it is constitutional. Our courts are impartial, and every citizen is guaranteed a fair trial.”
• “The Attorney-General’s office will ensure that Mr. Ofori-Atta receives all rights guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, including presumption of innocence and fair trial.”
• “This case is not about politics. It is about accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.”

Civic Education Takeaway
By reframing defense counsel’s own words, the Attorney-General can:

• Strengthen public confidence in Ghana’s judiciary.
• Shift the narrative from politics to accountability.
• Demonstrate that constitutional rights are being respected.
• Call on Ofori-Atta to prove his innocence by facing the law openly.

Here’s the final opinion column with a closing historical reflection — tying Ken Ofori-Atta’s case to Ghana’s institutional memory and legacy of spirited defenses:

Ken Ofori-Atta Must Face the Law
Even his lawyer admits he is willing to cooperate. Ghana’s courts are the place to prove it.

Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta stands accused in proceedings that have drawn both national and international attention. His lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, has argued that the case is politically motivated. Yet in the same breath, Qasimi insists that his client is “willing to cooperate with Ghana’s legal processes.”

That admission changes everything.

• Cooperation is not optional. If Ofori-Atta is truly willing, then he must return home and face Ghana’s courts.
• Politics cannot erase accountability. Allegations of political motivation do not cancel constitutional duty.
• Justice is impartial. Ghana’s Constitution guarantees presumption of innocence, fair trial, and legal representation. These rights will be upheld.
• Public trust is at stake. By standing trial, Ofori-Atta can help restore confidence in Ghana’s institutions and clear his name before the people.

Civic Education Takeaway
No international counsel can substitute for moral courage. If Ken Ofori-Atta genuinely believes he is innocent, then the greatest service he can render to himself and to Ghana is to come home, face the law, and prove it openly.

“Justice in Ghana is not political—it is constitutional. Every citizen, no matter their status, must face the law.”

What Ghana’s Constitution Guarantees You

Every Ghanaian is entitled to rights that protect against injustice. These apply to all citizens, regardless of political status or accusation:

• Presumption of Innocence – You are innocent until proven guilty.
• Fair Trial – You must be tried before an impartial court within a reasonable time.
• Right to Counsel – You can choose a lawyer to defend you.
• Protection Against Arbitrary Arrest – Authorities must follow due process when detaining individuals.
• Access to Information – You have the right to information that affects your case.

Civic Education Message:
These rights are not privileges—they are constitutional guarantees. Understanding them empowers citizens to demand accountability and strengthens Ghana’s democracy.

Historical Reflection
This moment echoes Ghana’s past. In 1944, Dr. J.B. Danquah mounted a spirited defense in the Kyebi Ritual Murder case, fighting for Ofori-Atta family members accused under colonial law. His determination showed how law, politics, and family honor intertwined in Ghana’s struggle for justice.

Today, Ken Ofori-Atta faces his own test. Just as Danquah’s defense became part of Ghana’s institutional memory, Ofori-Atta’s choice will shape how history remembers him. Will he embrace accountability and strengthen Ghana’s democracy, or evade responsibility and weaken public trust?

Sources

• GhanaWeb – Meet Ken Ofori-Atta’s “top-notch” international lawyer
• Webbers Choice – US Lawyer Claims GRA-SML Case is Politically Driven, Defends Ofori-Atta
• Constitution of Ghana (1992) – Articles 14, 19, 21

Retired Senior Citizen
Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]

As we wrap up programming on this site for the holiday break, I thought I should give readers a parting shot from the katanomics stable. 

And who better to use than Aliko Dangote, the richest Black billionaire in the world, and arguably the most consequential industrialist Africa has produced since independence. 

The Dangote story holds much fascination for some of us in the policy activism space. I have found that in elite Nigerian circles, admiration often gives way to discomfort. Accusations range from monopolistic behaviour to regulatory capture and policy bending. How can one man/company attract so much admiration and fear/opposition in the same measure? 

In typical katanomics fashion, one has to move closer and dive deeper to get something close to an answer. That answer is thrilling and unsettling. Dangote is far from the paradigm-shattering and mould-breaking actor he is sometimes held up to be by both his foes and his admirers. His entire phenomenon is a rational response to a profoundly broken policy environment. The kind of environment best described by the katanomics label.

Katanomics describes a fracture between politics and policy. Between grand national ambitions and the granular, technical execution required to realise them. Nigeria, like many African states, is awash with industrial master plans, indigenisation roadmaps, and self-sufficiency proclamations. The failure lies far less than most people assume in political vision and ambition and almost entirely in a particular framework, or lack of framework, in policy execution. Nor is corruption the central feature. Far from it, corruption is but a symptom. The truth is that Political accountability has improved over the years. The tragedy is that policy accountability has not.

Nowhere is this clearer than in oil.

Nigeria holds roughly 37 billion barrels of proven reserves, yet struggles to sustain 1.5 – 1.8 million barrels per day of production in good years. Petrobras of Brazil, with just 10.4 billion barrels, produces nearly 2.7 million bpd. Petronas, which once massively lagged NNPC in output, now posts over $30 billion in operating profit annually, while NNPC’s ₦2.5 trillion profit in 2022 (≈$5.4bn) masks decades of capacity erosion.

Policy mis-calibration is, from the standpoint of the katanomics theory, the chief culprit. Nigeria’s shift from Joint Ventures to Production Sharing Contracts solved short-term cash-call failures while institutionalising cost inflation (“gold-plating”). Deep-water royalty holidays and weak audit capacity quietly transferred billions in rent to international operators. As the need for policy-detail cascading increased, public discourse remained stubbornly political, completely out of sync. The result was inevitable: sovereign ownership without sovereign capability.

Manufacturing tells the same story.

Cement is often hailed as Nigeria’s industrial miracle. Capacity exploded from under 2 million tonnes to over 50 million tonnes, and Nigeria became a net exporter. But prices remain among the highest globally, protected by import barriers that transferred consumer surplus to producers. Sugar followed the same template. Then it collapsed. By 2020, Nigeria still imported over 1.5 million tons annually, spending $433 million in forex, while domestic production met less than 5% of demand.

Dangote’s own balance sheets reveal the pattern. Dangote Sugar’s gross margins fell from nearly 30% in the mid-2000s to under 5% by 2024, crushed by FX exposure and finance costs. Cement margins, by contrast, remain near 50% in Nigeria, double those of its Pan-African operations. As these moats narrow, capital escalates.

The difference? Cement’s value chain is simple, requiring minimal policy-orchestration and mineral-anchored. Sugar requires land aggregation, irrigation, and social coordination, a degree of policy intensity that Nigeria has not been able to sustain.

Enter the $20+ billion Dangote Refinery.

Understanding Dangote’s forays in this space, including his recent combat with regulators, requires an understanding of the group’s “capital escalation” and “policy-political consolidation” strategy as a rational response to the katanomic environment. 

After watching margins in its sugar operation crumble (see chart below), and the strategic moat around cement start to crack, Dangote doubled down by catapulting the capital escalation projectile: a massive petrochemical complex designed to process 650,000 barrels per day in a single train. 

The refinery should have been fed by Nigerian crude. Instead, it imports oil from the United States and Brazil because over 270,000 bpd of NNPC’s equity crude is pledged to debt-collateralisation schemes. The refinery now relies on Naira-for-Crude arrangements, Free Trade Zone shields, and 4,000 CNG trucks costing ₦720 billion to bypass a vandalised pipeline network. Yet, the plan is to expand output to 1.4 million barrels.

It is easy to see this in easy binary terms: lovers hail vision, and haters lament corporate excess or even greed. It is principally an adaptive behaviour in a katanomic system where policy learning collapses and scale becomes the only defence.

Dangote is not bending Nigeria to his will. Nigeria’s broken policy architecture is bending Dangote.

Read the detailed essay here: https://tinyurl.com/KataDangote

Happy holidays, everyone!

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

play videoThe young lady sharing her ordeal on Secret TV

A 27-year-old Ghanaian woman living abroad has found herself in a state of emotional turmoil after three pastors allegedly accused her mother of witchcraft following the tragic death of her child.

The woman, who spoke on Secret TV, a YouTube channel hosted by Pastor Prince Elisha Osei that focuses on resolving domestic and social issues, narrated her ordeal and the difficult position she now faces regarding her family.

According to her, she lives abroad with her husband and experienced severe complications during childbirth. These complications led to a Caesarean section and the eventual removal of her womb after delivery.

She explained that after discussions with her husband, they decided to visit their parents in Ghana when the child turned two years old.

Recounting the incident, the woman said that while in Ghana, her child was sleeping in an open compound as she attended to household chores inside the house.

She stated that she suddenly heard a loud cry from the child and rushed outside, only to find a dog attacking the toddler.

“I was inside when I heard a loud cry. When I came outside, I saw a dog biting my child all over. The child was badly injured, so I had to find something to hit the dog to make it move away. I rushed my child to the hospital but the child could not survive. This is the first time that we have come to Ghana, I have ended up losing my baby,” she said.

The injuries sustained from the attack eventually led to the child’s death.

Following the child’s death, the woman said she and her husband sought spiritual guidance from several pastors. However, she claimed that about three pastors they visited told them that her mother was responsible for the child’s death, alleging that she was a witch.

Mother jailed for subjecting 3-year-old daughter accused of witchcraft to torture

She further alleged that the pastors warned her not to financially support her mother, claiming that doing so would ruin her finances and marriage.

“After the death of my child, wherever we go, they all say that my mother is the one who killed my child. Meanwhile, I am the only child of my mother. They say that if I give her money, she will destroy my finances and my marriage,” she said.

The woman expressed deep emotional distress over the accusations, stating that her mother has been her backbone and only source of support throughout her life.

She said the repeated allegations have left her confused and afraid, even though she does not personally believe that her mother is responsible for the tragedy.

“My mother was my everything. She has been my backbone and only hope. Now, because of fear from these pastors, I am confused and afraid to take care of my own mother, who is my only relative. Even though I don’t believe it, everywhere we go, they say my mother is behind all this,” she added.

The woman said she decided to share her story on the programme in search of guidance and solutions to her predicament.

AM

Also, watch below Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ documentary as the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025

The wait is over! The GhanaWeb Excellence Awards 2025 is officially launched. Let’s Celebrate impact, innovation and excellence across Ghana.

Who deserves to be honoured this year?

Nominate now 👉 https://ghanaweb.com/ghanaexcellenceawards/nominate

Salah came to Morocco after not starting in five Liverpool matches — his omission leading to an outburst against manager Arne Slot. (AFP Photo)

Mohamed Salah scored as 10-man Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 in Agadir on Friday to become the first qualifiers for the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Liverpool star converted a penalty on 45 minutes, and South Africa were denied a spot-kick late in the second half when Yasser Ibrahim appeared to handle the ball inside the box.Salah came to Morocco after not starting in five Liverpool matches — his omission leading to an outburst against manager Arne Slot.

Egypt were reduced to 10 men in first-half added time when right-back Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card for a stamp, followed by a red. After two rounds in Group B, record seven-time champions Egypt have six points and are guaranteed a top-two finish and a place in the round of 16. South Africa have three points, and Angola and Zimbabwe one each after they drew 1-1 in Marrakesh earlier. “I’m very happy for the result, for sure. It was a tough game, they dominated most of the time. It’s a team that can keep the ball for a long time so I think we had a good gameplan, it worked,” said Salah.“We walked away with the three points, it’s the most important thing. The atmosphere is incredible. Hopefully we can carry on like this.”The first chance fell to Salah after 11 minutes, but he could not move forward quickly enough to connect with a low cross from Hany.That the majority of the crowd were supporting the Pharaohs became obvious soon after when the Burundi referee ignored Zizo appeals for a free-kick, and loud whistling enveloped the stadium.When Salah delivered a free-kick into the heart of the South African area, three Egyptians darted forward, but none could connect with the ball.– Salah closely policed – Midway through the opening half a pattern had developed — Egypt were pushing forward regularly while South Africa defended with calmness and solid tackling.When Teboho Mokoena fouled Omar Marmoush just outside the D, he was yellow carded. However, the Manchester City striker fired the resultant free-kick wide.As the first half progressed the sun broke out in the southern coastal city — a welcome sight for players and spectators with many earlier group matches staged in torrential rain. A rare South Africa attack ended disappointingly as Lyle Foster struck a weak shot that was comfortably saved by 37-year-old Mohamed El Shenawy.Awarded a free-kick close to the touchline, South Africa performed an intricate, multi-pass move that ended tamely as El Shenawy clutched a cross. Salah was being closely policed by Aubrey Modiba and as half-time drew near the Liverpool star retreated into the Egyptian half in order to retain possession.Then, as the Egypt captain chased a loose ball with Khuliso Mudau, the South African right-back raised his left arm, striking an eye of Salah.Amid Egyptian protests, the Burundian referee viewed the incident on a VAR monitor and pointed to the penalty spot. A lengthy delay before the kick was taken could not have eased the nerves of Salah, but he comfortably converted the penalty as Ronwen Williams dived in the wrong direction. More drama erupted in added time when Hany stamped on Mokoena, leading to a second yellow card for the defender. South Africa, with a numerical advantage, attacked more as the second half progressed, but Egypt came close to a second goal with Williams foiling substitute Emam Ashour after a quick free-kick. El Shenawy displayed his agility with 15 minutes remaining, using his right hand to tip to safety a low shot from Foster. It was one of several saves that kept Egypt ahead.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked an appeals court to release him from prison and overturn his conviction on two prostitution-related crimes.

In a court filing for an expedited appeal, the rap mogul’s attorney argued that he was improperly sentenced and that the conduct that resulted in his conviction was not criminal in nature.

Attorney Alexandra Shapiro called Combs’ 50-month prison sentence “unlawful, unconstitutional, and a perversion of justice”.

She asked an appeals court to order that Combs be resentenced if the panel chooses not to throw out his conviction in its entirety.

The request is the latest attempt by his team to reduce his sentence or to have his conviction thrown out.

The Southern District of New York, which prosecuted Combs, declined to comment on the request to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Combs’ lawyers had previously said they would appeal his sentence and conviction.

Federal prosecutors in New York accused Combs of using his money, power, and the threat of violence to coerce women into unwanted sexual encounters.

During a high-profile trial this spring, the jury heard from two of Combs’ ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified as “Jane Doe”. They said Combs abused them and forced them to participate in so-called “freak-offs” with male escorts.

The jury found Combs not guilty of the two most serious charges: racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. They convicted him of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

In September, after his conviction, Combs asked Judge Arun Subramanian to consider an acquittal or new trial, citing objections over the way an anti-prostitution statute known as the Mann Act was used to prosecute Combs. That bid was not successful.

Ahead of his sentencing, Combs’ attorneys argued he should receive a brief sentence that would essentially amount to time served, a request that would have paved the way for a swift release. Prosecutors, however, asked the judge to sentence Combs to at least 11 years in prison.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian ultimately sentenced Combs to more than four years in prison. He said he considered Combs’ contributions to society and testimonials from family and friends, but “a history of good works can’t wash away your record”.

Combs’ appeal argues that Judge Subramanian did not properly follow sentencing guidelines when sentencing him to 50 months in prison.

It argues the judge “flouted” new guidelines and improperly considered conduct for which Combs had been acquitted when formulating his punishment. The filing argues the judge “acted as a thirteenth juror” in the case and calls the sentence “draconian”.

Before Judge Subramanian issued his sentence, Combs apologised to Ms Ventura and “Jane.”

“My actions were disgusting, shameful, and sick,” Combs said. “I got lost in excess, I got lost in my ego.”

Combs is also facing dozens of pending civil lawsuits, which accuse him of sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation. Many of the lawsuits allege that the rapper used his fame and power to silence accusers through threats.

Some details allege that the rapper – or those who worked for him – drugged people at parties before alleged assaults.

Representatives for Mr Combs have repeatedly said he “never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor”.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

IMF (Country Report 25/343):
“In 2025 through end-Q3, losses from the artisanal and small-scale (ASM) doré gold transactions component of G4R have reached US$214 million (0.2 percent of GDP), mostly on trading losses but also on GoldBod off-takers’ fees.”
 
Bank of Ghana (25 Dec 2025):
“Although the IMF review flagged financial risks associated with the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), it is important to place these concerns within the broader context of the programme’s significant macroeconomic contribution. The DGPP is a policy tool that has helped shore up Ghana’s international reserves, supported currency stability, and enabled access to large volumes of foreign exchange without incurring new debt. The operational role of GOLDBOD as an aggregator has been important in channelling gold-based inflows from the small-scale mining sector into the official market. This collaborative structure between the Bank and GOLDBOD has ensured that the DGPP remains anchored in public policy objectives.”
 
Me:
Bank of Ghana, please explain the loss of US$214 million to Ghanaians, rather than treating it as only “financial risks” flagged by the IMF.

A ‘loss’ is something that is fait accompli. It has already happened. A ‘risk’ is an exposure to danger, whether imminent or remote. A risk may materialise or may never materialise. A loss and a risk are not the same. Don’t use semantics to avoid accountability to the people of Ghana. Come back and explain how the “trading losses” and “GoldBod off-takers’ fees” led to the loss of $214 million. That money was the taxpayer’s money. The taxpayer deserves credible explanation as to how that loss occurred and what measures the Bank of Ghana and the GoldBod have put in place to forestall future losses. That is what accountability demands, not hiding behind semantics and technical language to dodge legitimate questions.
 
Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako
Accra, 27 December 2025.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

The group aims to foster investment and entrepreneurship

The General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), a premier network of entrepreneurs, is urging the creation of localised and complementary value chains across Africa to accelerate industrialisation and reduce dependency on imports.

Ali Zerouali, Vice President of CGEM’s Africa Commission, said regional integration could drive investment and create jobs by leveraging each country’s competitive advantages.

“We don’t want to grow alone. We want to bring along our African brothers by building regional and continental value chains,” he told a group of African journalists.

He cited Ghana’s rubber industry as an example, saying it could supply raw materials for Morocco’s automotive sector, while Ghana imports Moroccan-made tyres and vehicles.

“Industrialisation is crucial, and we must use each country’s strengths to create a complementary system,” Zerouali added.

CGEM, which represents more than 90,000 companies, has hosted over 30 African delegations to deepen commercial ties and operates 19 bilateral business councils across the continent, including one in Ghana.

The group aims to foster investment and entrepreneurship, as Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion in 2050 by the United Nations.

Madam Marwa Tellal, Director of Communications and International Affairs at CGEM, said the demographic surge makes industrialisation urgent.

“We must harness our natural resources and agricultural potential to reduce reliance on imports,” she said.

Madam Tellal stated that they had been working closely with Ghana’s Employers’ Associations to foster a positive business environment, providing more possibilities, and supporting entrepreneurs.

Board member Karim Tazim stressed that a shared vision among African nations would help build a stronger business ecosystem and drive sustainable growth.

He also emphasised the importance of African countries supporting each other in development across various sectors of the economy.

Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Prof Henry Kwasi Prempeh, says Ghana’s Constitution sends a troubling message to young people by undervaluing their place in national leadership.

Speaking on Joy News on December 25, he said the issue of age limits in leadership must be examined in light of Ghana’s own constitutional history and youthful population.

“The age issue is interesting,” he said, pointing out that Ghana has not always imposed high age thresholds for executive power.

He recalled that under the 1960 Constitution, the minimum age was 35 years. He said this existed for decades and was not unusual at the time.

Prof Prempeh said the most revealing comparison is with parliamentary systems. “In parliamentary systems, anybody who can become an MP can become the Prime Minister,” he said.

He noted that Ghana has previously operated such a system. “In 1969, when we had a 1969 Constitution, the age was 21,” he said.

Under that arrangement, Prof Prempeh said young people exercised absolute executive authority.

“President Kufuor was Deputy Foreign Minister at 20-something years,” he said.

He added that although Prime Minister Busia was older, the constitutional requirement was minimal. “All he needed to be at that time was 21,” he said.

According to him, Ghana has lived through systems where effective executive power rested in the hands of very young leaders.

“We’ve had systems where effective executive power has been exercised by people who only had to be 21 years,” he said.

Prof Prempeh said the debate is not about forcing youth into office. “It doesn’t mean that we are going to elect a 30-year-old to be president,” he said.

Instead, he said the Constitution must reflect the country’s demographics. “If you have a population that is largely youthful, you have to at least, even if it’s symbolic, signal that they are important,” he said.

He stressed that leadership choice ultimately rests with voters. “It depends on whether the party finds that this is the person we want to elect,” he said.

He also said independent candidates should not be excluded by age alone. “If an independent candidate pops up at 30 who has accomplished and Ghanaians have trusted that person, why not?” he asked.

Prof Prempeh said democracy already has safeguards. “There’s an election filter,” he said.

In the end, he said, the decision belongs to the people. “The citizens will make that decision,” he said.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

The police have assured that those who surrender their weapons won’t be arrested

The Greater Accra Region is at the forefront of the Gun Amnesty Programme, with the highest number of firearms retrieved, according to a recent disclosure by the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA).

The initiative, launched earlier this year, offers the public an opportunity to voluntarily register or surrender unregistered or illicit firearms without fear of arrest, prosecution, or interrogation.

Dr Adam Bonaa, Executive Secretary of NACSA, provided an update on the exercise in a media interaction on Friday, December 26, 2025, following a visit to the National Mosque in Accra.

During the visit, he met with the National Chief Imam and appealed to him to raise awareness about the initiative among the Muslim community, emphasising that the programme will conclude on January 15, 2026.

“The Greater Accra Region is one of the areas where most of the weapons we have collected are coming from. It is currently leading in terms of arms surrendered under the amnesty programme, with the support of the security commanders,” Dr Bonaa said.

He added that the engagement with the Muslim community was arranged by the National Chief Imam announcing that the Chief Imam had agreed to serve as an ambassador for the Gun Amnesty Programme.

“The Chief Imam is one of the pillars of peace in this country. He does not preach violence or disturbance. Even in difficult moments when people wanted to react violently on his behalf, he consistently called for restraint. That tells you the kind of authority and moral influence he has.” Dr Bonaa said

He said the Chief Imam has welcomed an initiative to encourage voluntary surrender of illegal firearms within the Muslim community.

Meanwhile, the police have assured that those who surrender their weapons won’t be arrested and have urged individuals to take advantage of the amnesty before the deadline

United States President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he ordered a “powerful and deadly” military strike against Islamic State militants in Northwest Nigeria. The operation, executed on Christmas Day, targeted what the president described as “ISIS Terrorist Scum” responsible for the persecution of Christians. Trump stated on Truth Social that he had previously warned these groups to “stop the slaughtering of Christians” or face “hell to pay.” He characterised the mission as a series of “numerous perfect strikes” carried out by the “Department of War.” In his concluding remarks, Trump wrote: “Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed the strikes took place in Sokoto state, an area bordering Niger. “At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with Nigerian authorities, U.S. Africa Command conducted strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria on Dec. 25, 2025,” the command stated. Initial assessments indicate that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps.” General Dagvin Anderson, commander of AFRICOM, added: “Our goal is to protect Americans and to disrupt violent extremist organisations wherever they are.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this sentiment on X, stating: “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come… Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.”

Nigerian Government maintains stance on religious neutrality

Escalating intelligence and surveillance operations

Parallel Atrocities: The mosque bombing and kidnapping crisis

Regional Impacts: Ghana and the Sahelian shift

Conflicting perspectives on persecution statistics

Legal and trade implications of the CPC designation

A delicate balance of force and sovereignty

Kenneth Kabu Kofi Kanor, has appealed to the PWDs to remain calm

Some Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Ada East District on December 23, 2025, boycotted a planned disbursement exercise by the Ada East District Assembly, citing alleged procurement breaches and non-compliance with established by-laws.

The boycott followed reports that the items earmarked for distribution under the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) were procured without adhering to laid-down procurement procedures.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Theophilus Dugbatey Ayim, Chairperson of the District Disability Fund Management Committee and a ranking member of the Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Social Services, said the committee had earlier vetted and compiled data on eligible beneficiaries, but no official date had been fixed for the disbursement.

Ayim explained that district by-laws required all items intended for PWDs to be procured through the District Procurement Officer. However, he alleged that the procedure was bypassed, with an external individual reportedly engaged to purchase some of the items.

According to him, he only became aware on Monday, December 22, that the disbursement was scheduled for the following day, Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

He said enquiries made at the Social Welfare Department raised additional concerns, prompting the leadership of the PWDs to advise members to boycott the exercise in protest.

Ayim said the group was demanding transparency, stakeholder consultation and strict adherence to procurement regulations to ensure fairness and accountability in the management of the fund.

When the GNA visited the disbursement venue at Atortorkorpe around 13:00 hours, fewer than 20 PWDs were present under the canopies out of the 156 registered beneficiaries in the district.

The low turnout reportedly compelled officials of the Social Welfare Department to adopt alternative measures, including distributing perishable items such as fresh tilapia, okro and onions directly to beneficiaries’ homes later in the day.

Meanwhile, the Ada East District Chief Executive, Kenneth Kabu Kofi Kanor, has appealed to the PWDs to remain calm and adopt amicable means to resolve the issue.

Kanor said he had delegated responsibility for the disbursement process to the appropriate departments of the Assembly and was confident in their ability to discharge their duties effectively.

According to him, Enoch Addy, Head of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, had informed him those stakeholders met and agreed on the items to be procured for the beneficiaries.

He added that although he does not interfere unnecessarily in departmental operations, he remains open to dialogue and urged the leadership of the PWDs to engage him in discussions to resolve the concerns peacefully.

In some ways, Gigi is like any other young social media influencer.

With perfect hair and makeup, she logs on and talks to her fans. She shares clips of herself eating, doing skincare, and putting on lipstick. She even has a cute baby who appears in some videos.

But after a few seconds, something may seem a little off.

She can munch on pizza made out of molten lava or apply snowflakes and cotton candy as lip gloss. Her hands sometimes pass through what she’s holding.

That’s because Gigi isn’t real. She’s the AI creation of University of Illinois student Simone McKenzie, who needed to make some money over the summer.

Ms McKenzie, 21, is part of a fast-growing cohort of digital creators who churn out a stream of videos by entering simple prompts into AI chatbots, like Google Veo 3. Experts say this genre, dubbed “AI slop” by some critics and begrudging viewers, is taking over social media feeds.

And its creators are finding considerable success.

“One video made me $1,600 in just four days,” Ms McKenzie said. “I was like, okay, let me keep doing this.”

After two months, Gigi had millions of views, making Ms McKenzie thousands through TikTok’s creator fund, a programme that pays creators based on how many views they get. But she’s far from the only person using AI to reach easy virality, experts said.

“It’s surging right now, and it’s probably going to continue,” said Jessa Lingel, associate professor and digital culture expert at the University of Pennsylvania.

Its progenitors – who now can generate videos of literally anything in just a few minutes – have the potential to disrupt the lucrative influencer economy.

But while some say AI is ruining social media, others see its potential to democratise who gains fame online, Lingel said. Those who don’t have the money or time for a fancy background, camera setup or video editing tools can now go viral, too.

Traditional influencers being pushed out?

Social media influencing only recently became a legitimate career path. But in just a few years, the industry has grown to be worth over $250bn, according to investment firm Goldman Sachs. Online creators often use their own lives – their vacations, their pets, their makeup routines – to make content and attract a following.

AI creators who can make the same thing – only faster, cheaper and without the constraints of reality.

“It certainly has the potential to upset the creator space,” said Brooke Duffy, a digital and social media scholar at Cornell University.

Ms McKenzie, creator of Gigi, said videos take her only a few minutes to generate, and she sometimes posts three per day.

That’s not feasible for human influencers like Kaaviya Sambasivam, 26, who has around 1.3 million followers across multiple platforms.

Depending on the kind of video she’s making – whether it’s a recipe, a day-in-my-life vlog, or a makeup tutorial – it may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to fully produce. She has to shop, plan, set up her background and lighting, shoot and then edit.

AI creators can skip nearly all of those steps.

“It bears the question: Is this going to be something that we can outcompete? Because I am a human. My output is limited,” Ms Sambasivam, based in North Carolina, said. “There are months where I will be down in the dumps, and I’ll post just the bare minimum. I can’t compete with robots.”

She started building her channel while living with her parents during the COVID pandemic. Without a setup, she said she duct-taped her phone to the wall to film. Eventually, she spent money she made as an influencer buying tripods, lighting, makeup and food for her videos. It took years to build her following.

Ms Mckenzie said she considered being a more traditional influencer, but didn’t have the money, time or setup. That’s why she created Gigi.

“My desk at home has a lot of books and stuff,” she said. “It’s not the most visually appealing. It definitely makes it easier that you can just pick whatever background you want with AI.”

“Real” life on AI videos

When Ms Mckenzie started, she turned to Google’s Veo 3 chatbot, asking it to generate a woman – someone to stand in as her.

Gigi is her age, 21, with tanned skin, green eyes, freckles, winged eyeliner and long black hair. She then asked the chatbot to make Gigi talk. Gigi now starts each video chiding commentators who accuse her of being AI. Then, mockingly proving them right, she eats a bedazzled avocado or a cookie made of slime.

Ms Duffy said digital alterations aren’t new. First, there were programs like Photoshop, used for image editing. Next, apps like FaceTune made it easier for users to change their faces for social media. But she said the main precursor to today’s hyper-realistic AI videos were celebrity deepfakes, emerging in the late 2010s.

But they now look much, much more real, Ms Duffy said, and they can spread faster.

AI videos run the gamut from the absurd – a cartoon of a cat working at McDonald’s – to the hyper-realistic, like fake doorbell camera footage. They represent every genre – horror, comedy, culinary. But none of it is real.

“It’s become, in some ways, a form of meme culture,” Ms Duffy said.

One 31-year-old American woman living in South Korea has a TikTok page dedicated to an AI-generated puppy, Gamja, who wears headphones, cooks and curls his hair. She’s received millions of views as well as partnerships from companies who want to be featured in her videos.

“I wanted to blend things that people love, which include food and puppies, in a way that hadn’t been done before,” she said.

One of the biggest AI content creators on TikTok is 27-year-old Daniel Riley. He has an audience of millions, but they have never seen his face. Rather, his “time travel” videos have earned him nearly 600,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views.

“POV: You wake up in Pompeii on eruption day” and “POV: You wake up as Queen Cleopatra” are some of his most popular titles, taking viewers through a 30-second-long fictionalised day in ancient history.

“I realised I could tell stories that would normally cost millions to produce and give people a look into different eras through their phone,” he said.

And he’s developed another stream of income – a bootcamp to teach others how to make similar AI videos for a monthly fee.

Will anyone know the difference?

“Stop calling me AI,” Gigi says at the beginning of each TikTok. She’s arguing with sceptics’ – but some audience members unquestioningly believe she’s real.

On one hand, AI videos that are almost indistinguishable from reality pose a real problem, Ms Lingel said, especially for young kids who don’t yet have media literacy.

“I think it’ll be almost impossible for an ordinary human to tell the difference soon,” she said. “You’re going to see a rise in misinformation, you’re going to see a rise in scams, you’re going to see a rise in content that’s just…crappy.”

On the other, AI videos can be mesmerising, experts said, offering cartoonish, exaggerated material.

“It’s those images and posts that seem to toe the line between reality and duplicity that capture our attention and encourage us to share,” Ms Duffy said.

A Harvard University study indicated that among AI users between the ages of 14-22, many say they use it to generate things like images and music.

Still, she said, the question is if human discernment can keep up with rapidly improving technology.

Almost every day, the creator of Gamja said she hears from people online, worried about her AI-generated puppy: They think he’s eating foods that are unhealthy, they say – because they think they’re watching a real dog.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

In some ways, Gigi is like any other young social media influencer.

With perfect hair and makeup, she logs on and talks to her fans. She shares clips of herself eating, doing skincare, and putting on lipstick. She even has a cute baby who appears in some videos.

But after a few seconds, something may seem a little off.

She can munch on pizza made out of molten lava or apply snowflakes and cotton candy as lip gloss. Her hands sometimes pass through what she’s holding.

That’s because Gigi isn’t real. She’s the AI creation of University of Illinois student Simone McKenzie, who needed to make some money over the summer.

Ms McKenzie, 21, is part of a fast-growing cohort of digital creators who churn out a stream of videos by entering simple prompts into AI chatbots, like Google Veo 3. Experts say this genre, dubbed “AI slop” by some critics and begrudging viewers, is taking over social media feeds.

And its creators are finding considerable success.

“One video made me $1,600 in just four days,” Ms McKenzie said. “I was like, okay, let me keep doing this.”

After two months, Gigi had millions of views, making Ms McKenzie thousands through TikTok’s creator fund, a programme that pays creators based on how many views they get. But she’s far from the only person using AI to reach easy virality, experts said.

“It’s surging right now, and it’s probably going to continue,” said Jessa Lingel, associate professor and digital culture expert at the University of Pennsylvania.

Its progenitors – who now can generate videos of literally anything in just a few minutes – have the potential to disrupt the lucrative influencer economy.

But while some say AI is ruining social media, others see its potential to democratise who gains fame online, Lingel said. Those who don’t have the money or time for a fancy background, camera setup or video editing tools can now go viral, too.

Traditional influencers being pushed out?

Social media influencing only recently became a legitimate career path. But in just a few years, the industry has grown to be worth over $250bn, according to investment firm Goldman Sachs. Online creators often use their own lives – their vacations, their pets, their makeup routines – to make content and attract a following.

AI creators who can make the same thing – only faster, cheaper and without the constraints of reality.

“It certainly has the potential to upset the creator space,” said Brooke Duffy, a digital and social media scholar at Cornell University.

Ms McKenzie, creator of Gigi, said videos take her only a few minutes to generate, and she sometimes posts three per day.

That’s not feasible for human influencers like Kaaviya Sambasivam, 26, who has around 1.3 million followers across multiple platforms.

Depending on the kind of video she’s making – whether it’s a recipe, a day-in-my-life vlog, or a makeup tutorial – it may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to fully produce. She has to shop, plan, set up her background and lighting, shoot and then edit.

AI creators can skip nearly all of those steps.

“It bears the question: Is this going to be something that we can outcompete? Because I am a human. My output is limited,” Ms Sambasivam, based in North Carolina, said. “There are months where I will be down in the dumps, and I’ll post just the bare minimum. I can’t compete with robots.”

She started building her channel while living with her parents during the COVID pandemic. Without a setup, she said she duct-taped her phone to the wall to film. Eventually, she spent money she made as an influencer buying tripods, lighting, makeup and food for her videos. It took years to build her following.

Ms Mckenzie said she considered being a more traditional influencer, but didn’t have the money, time or setup. That’s why she created Gigi.

“My desk at home has a lot of books and stuff,” she said. “It’s not the most visually appealing. It definitely makes it easier that you can just pick whatever background you want with AI.”

“Real” life on AI videos

When Ms Mckenzie started, she turned to Google’s Veo 3 chatbot, asking it to generate a woman – someone to stand in as her.

Gigi is her age, 21, with tanned skin, green eyes, freckles, winged eyeliner and long black hair. She then asked the chatbot to make Gigi talk. Gigi now starts each video chiding commentators who accuse her of being AI. Then, mockingly proving them right, she eats a bedazzled avocado or a cookie made of slime.

Ms Duffy said digital alterations aren’t new. First, there were programs like Photoshop, used for image editing. Next, apps like FaceTune made it easier for users to change their faces for social media. But she said the main precursor to today’s hyper-realistic AI videos were celebrity deepfakes, emerging in the late 2010s.

But they now look much, much more real, Ms Duffy said, and they can spread faster.

AI videos run the gamut from the absurd – a cartoon of a cat working at McDonald’s – to the hyper-realistic, like fake doorbell camera footage. They represent every genre – horror, comedy, culinary. But none of it is real.

“It’s become, in some ways, a form of meme culture,” Ms Duffy said.

One 31-year-old American woman living in South Korea has a TikTok page dedicated to an AI-generated puppy, Gamja, who wears headphones, cooks and curls his hair. She’s received millions of views as well as partnerships from companies who want to be featured in her videos.

“I wanted to blend things that people love, which include food and puppies, in a way that hadn’t been done before,” she said.

One of the biggest AI content creators on TikTok is 27-year-old Daniel Riley. He has an audience of millions, but they have never seen his face. Rather, his “time travel” videos have earned him nearly 600,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views.

“POV: You wake up in Pompeii on eruption day” and “POV: You wake up as Queen Cleopatra” are some of his most popular titles, taking viewers through a 30-second-long fictionalised day in ancient history.

“I realised I could tell stories that would normally cost millions to produce and give people a look into different eras through their phone,” he said.

And he’s developed another stream of income – a bootcamp to teach others how to make similar AI videos for a monthly fee.

Will anyone know the difference?

“Stop calling me AI,” Gigi says at the beginning of each TikTok. She’s arguing with sceptics’ – but some audience members unquestioningly believe she’s real.

On one hand, AI videos that are almost indistinguishable from reality pose a real problem, Ms Lingel said, especially for young kids who don’t yet have media literacy.

“I think it’ll be almost impossible for an ordinary human to tell the difference soon,” she said. “You’re going to see a rise in misinformation, you’re going to see a rise in scams, you’re going to see a rise in content that’s just…crappy.”

On the other, AI videos can be mesmerising, experts said, offering cartoonish, exaggerated material.

“It’s those images and posts that seem to toe the line between reality and duplicity that capture our attention and encourage us to share,” Ms Duffy said.

A Harvard University study indicated that among AI users between the ages of 14-22, many say they use it to generate things like images and music.

Still, she said, the question is if human discernment can keep up with rapidly improving technology.

Almost every day, the creator of Gamja said she hears from people online, worried about her AI-generated puppy: They think he’s eating foods that are unhealthy, they say – because they think they’re watching a real dog.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Vision FC have won three times this term with all those victories coming at their home grounds

Relegation-haunted Vision FC will be desperate to end their seven-match winless run when they host Nations FC at the Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex on Saturday, December 27, 2025.

Despite getting off to a promising start this season, Vision FC are currently battling for survival following a downturn in form.

Nana Kweku Agyemang’s team will look to regain lost momentum with a crucial win over Nations to steer clear danger.

Vision have won three times this term with all those victories coming at their home grounds. The hosts, however, have failed to win in Tema in their last three attempts.

Agyemang would hope for his team to rediscover their home form to bank all three points.

For Nations, they will aim to build on their narrow home win over Young Apostles which moved them up to 10th in the league standings with 19 points – four richer than their hosts.

The visitors would have to shake off their poor away form if they are to secure back-to-back wins.

Frimpong Manso’s side travel to Vision FC in search of their first away win of the season and must show mental strength to get a result.

Ambassador Ray Quarcoo played integral role in sports development in Ghana

The alleged abysmal performance of famed Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana, has stirred goodwill sports ambassador, Ray Quarcoo to react from afar.

To the seasoned sports enthusiast, most of the referee’s actions did not only throw sticks into his hard-earned spokes but dented the image of the prestigious continental competition.

His failure to award South Africa a glaring penalty in the Egypt-South Africa group match on Friday, December 26,2025 in the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) has stoked debate among the football fraternity; questioning his integrity and credibility in the said match.

The former Ghana Boxing Federation president and Black Stars Management Committee member said in an interview “…the referee’s performance was appalling, turning a blind eye to an obvious handball by an Egyptian in their vital area raised eyebrows.”

He added ” It is so unfortunate his actions robbed the South Africans in a game they played so well. Indeed, his actions were a clear indication as though his (referee) palm was greased. I consider his actions as a clear case of inferiority complex on the part of the referee.

” I am therefore appealing to the continent’s football governing body, Confederation of African Football (CAF) to bring the Burundian referee to book to serve as a deterrent for others.

“This will ensure fair officiating in the subsequent matches.”

Bafana Bafana (South Africa) controversially lost 0-1 to Egypt last Friday.

They (South Africa) next face neighbors Zimbabwe in their next group game on Monday December 29, 2025.

Burundi’s Ndabihawenimana is a prominent international football referee known for officiating major CAF (Confederation of African Football) matches, including Champions League games and is recognized by FIFA as a Video Match Official (VAR) as well as a central referee, representing his nation on the continental and global stage in high-profile fixtures.

AM

Also, watch below Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ documentary as the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025

The wait is over! The GhanaWeb Excellence Awards 2025 is officially launched. Let’s Celebrate impact, innovation and excellence across Ghana.

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Police say the suspects opened fire upon seeing the officers and attempted to flee through the bush

An intelligence-led operation by the Ashanti South Regional Police Command has led to the death of three suspected armed robbers and the retrieval of multiple high-powered firearms, following a fierce shootout near Anwiankwanta in the Ashanti Region.

According to a regional situation report, “police had gathered actionable intelligence on a notorious robbery gang linked to a series of violent crimes, including robberies and killings in Manso, Jacobu, Anwiankwanta and surrounding communities.”

The suspects, identified as Seidu, Tijani and their accomplices, were reportedly planning an attack along the Anwiankwanta–Obuasi Highway.

“On December 24, 2025, police received information that the gang had converged in a bush between Anwiankwanta and the Jacobu junction in preparation for the planned robbery, “a police report said.

An intelligence-led operation was immediately mounted, with police deploying four service vehicles, both branded and unbranded.

“Upon arriving at the suspected hideout near Anwiankwanta, officers spotted about five armed young men,” the report added.

Police say the suspects opened fire upon seeing the officers and attempted to flee through the bush. Officers tactically returned fire, resulting in three suspects sustaining gunshot injuries. Two other suspects, also believed to have been wounded, managed to escape into the bush.

A search of the scene led to the recovery of two pump-action guns, each loaded with six rounds of ammunition and one unbranded pistol. Police also retrieved a sack containing 25 live cartridges and six spent cartridges.

The injured suspects were identified as Seidu Issah, aged 29, Musah Yakubu, aged 35 and Yahaya Munkaila, also known as Tijani, aged 25. All were described as Fulani herdsmen.

Before their deaths, the suspects reportedly confessed to several armed robberies in the Jacobu and Manso areas, including the robbery at the Jacobu airport on November 3, 2025, during which a security guard was killed. They also admitted to multiple highway robberies along the Manso stretch, including an attack at Antoakrom about two months ago.

Further confessions linked them to a robbery at Abofour Forest near Offinso on May 23, 2025, and the robbery of a gold buyer at Anwiankwanta on December 8, 2025.

Suspect Tijani additionally implicated several accomplices, naming Issah Jordorma of Asante Mampong, Seidu Haruna of Nyinahin and Ibrahim, Seidu Balli and Abubakar, all of Offinso Kokote. He claimed that some AK-47 assault rifles had been hidden in bushes at Manso and Obuasi.

Police arrest Nigerian woman linked to alleged Spintex robbery

The three injured suspects were rushed to the Bekwai Municipal Hospital for medical treatment but were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies have since been deposited at the hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

In a follow-up operation on December 26, 2025, the Ashanti South Regional Commander, DCOP Joseph Nyaaba, deployed officers to conduct a search in a palm plantation near Manso Nkwanta, where the suspects allegedly hid additional weapons.

At about 2:30 p.m., officers discovered a covered trench beneath a palm tree. Upon digging, the team recovered four firearms: one AK-47 assault rifle loaded with 18 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition, one MG.3 rifle loaded with a 7.62×51mm round, one pump-action gun loaded with seven AA cartridges and one loaded single-barrel gun.

Other items retrieved included a black hood, a pair of multicoloured sneakers, a pair of black slippers and a pair of black bathroom slippers.

Police say investigations are ongoing to trace the source of the high-powered weapons and to arrest the remaining accomplices who are currently at large.

The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has reiterated its commitment to combating armed robbery and ensuring the safety of residents and road users across the region.

AM

Also, watch below Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ documentary as the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025

The wait is over! The GhanaWeb Excellence Awards 2025 is officially launched. Let’s Celebrate impact, innovation and excellence across Ghana.

Who deserves to be honoured this year?

Nominate now 👉 https://ghanaweb.com/ghanaexcellenceawards/nominate

Police say the suspects opened fire upon seeing the officers and attempted to flee through the bush

An intelligence-led operation by the Ashanti South Regional Police Command has led to the death of three suspected armed robbers and the retrieval of multiple high-powered firearms, following a fierce shootout near Anwiankwanta in the Ashanti Region.

According to a regional situation report, “police had gathered actionable intelligence on a notorious robbery gang linked to a series of violent crimes, including robberies and killings in Manso, Jacobu, Anwiankwanta and surrounding communities.”

The suspects, identified as Seidu, Tijani and their accomplices, were reportedly planning an attack along the Anwiankwanta–Obuasi Highway.

“On December 24, 2025, police received information that the gang had converged in a bush between Anwiankwanta and the Jacobu junction in preparation for the planned robbery, “a police report said.

An intelligence-led operation was immediately mounted, with police deploying four service vehicles, both branded and unbranded.

“Upon arriving at the suspected hideout near Anwiankwanta, officers spotted about five armed young men,” the report added.

Police say the suspects opened fire upon seeing the officers and attempted to flee through the bush. Officers tactically returned fire, resulting in three suspects sustaining gunshot injuries. Two other suspects, also believed to have been wounded, managed to escape into the bush.

A search of the scene led to the recovery of two pump-action guns, each loaded with six rounds of ammunition and one unbranded pistol. Police also retrieved a sack containing 25 live cartridges and six spent cartridges.

The injured suspects were identified as Seidu Issah, aged 29, Musah Yakubu, aged 35 and Yahaya Munkaila, also known as Tijani, aged 25. All were described as Fulani herdsmen.

Before their deaths, the suspects reportedly confessed to several armed robberies in the Jacobu and Manso areas, including the robbery at the Jacobu airport on November 3, 2025, during which a security guard was killed. They also admitted to multiple highway robberies along the Manso stretch, including an attack at Antoakrom about two months ago.

Further confessions linked them to a robbery at Abofour Forest near Offinso on May 23, 2025, and the robbery of a gold buyer at Anwiankwanta on December 8, 2025.

Suspect Tijani additionally implicated several accomplices, naming Issah Jordorma of Asante Mampong, Seidu Haruna of Nyinahin and Ibrahim, Seidu Balli and Abubakar, all of Offinso Kokote. He claimed that some AK-47 assault rifles had been hidden in bushes at Manso and Obuasi.

Police arrest Nigerian woman linked to alleged Spintex robbery

The three injured suspects were rushed to the Bekwai Municipal Hospital for medical treatment but were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies have since been deposited at the hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

In a follow-up operation on December 26, 2025, the Ashanti South Regional Commander, DCOP Joseph Nyaaba, deployed officers to conduct a search in a palm plantation near Manso Nkwanta, where the suspects allegedly hid additional weapons.

At about 2:30 p.m., officers discovered a covered trench beneath a palm tree. Upon digging, the team recovered four firearms: one AK-47 assault rifle loaded with 18 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition, one MG.3 rifle loaded with a 7.62×51mm round, one pump-action gun loaded with seven AA cartridges and one loaded single-barrel gun.

Other items retrieved included a black hood, a pair of multicoloured sneakers, a pair of black slippers and a pair of black bathroom slippers.

Police say investigations are ongoing to trace the source of the high-powered weapons and to arrest the remaining accomplices who are currently at large.

The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has reiterated its commitment to combating armed robbery and ensuring the safety of residents and road users across the region.

AM

Also, watch below Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ documentary as the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025

The wait is over! The GhanaWeb Excellence Awards 2025 is officially launched. Let’s Celebrate impact, innovation and excellence across Ghana.

Who deserves to be honoured this year?

Nominate now 👉 https://ghanaweb.com/ghanaexcellenceawards/nominate

Alban Bagbin

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has given firm assurances that no law will be passed under his leadership to stifle the work of journalists or undermine media freedom in the country.

Speaking through the Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon and Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, at the 3rd Annual Dinner Night of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra on Monday, the Speaker acknowledged growing anxieties within the media fraternity over the application of digital and electronic communications laws.

He noted that laws originally intended to regulate online activity were increasingly being used to harass, intimidate and curtail the legitimate work of journalists. Mr. Bagbin assured the gathering that Parliament, under his watch, would not endorse any legislation that threatens constitutional guarantees of press freedom.

Drawing on his long parliamentary experience dating back to the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1993, the Speaker further indicated that existing laws found to be inimical to media freedom would be reviewed to align them with democratic principles and constitutional protections.

His remarks come at a time of heightened concern among media practitioners over arrests, interrogations and legal actions linked to online publications and social media commentary arising from their professional work.

Several journalists at the event shared personal accounts of encounters with law enforcement agencies, underscoring the chilling effect such actions could have on free expression.

The Ghana Journalists Association reiterated its long-held position that while ethical, accurate and responsible journalism remains non-negotiable, the enforcement of laws must not be used to erode press freedom or intimidate practitioners.

The Speaker stressed the importance of striking a careful balance between safeguarding national security and protecting freedom of expression, describing a free, independent and responsible media as a cornerstone of Ghana’s democratic governance.

The dinner, which brought together journalists, lawmakers and other key stakeholders, ended with renewed calls for sustained dialogue and collaboration to ensure that electronic communications laws are applied in ways that protect journalists, strengthen democratic accountability and uphold the rule of law.

A Daily Guide Report

Ruben Amorim has revealed Mason Mount “felt something at half time” and explained that Manchester United decided not to risk him in the second half after the midfielder was withdrawn during the Premier League win over Newcastle.

Mount started alongside Matheus Cunha in behind Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford, with United already missing their injured captain Bruno Fernandes as well as Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, who are at the Africa Cup of Nations.

He was replaced at half-time by 18-year-old Jack Fletcher, the son of former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, as United ultimately saw out a 1-0 victory for their first home win at Old Trafford in two months.

Amorim explained it was a “good sign” that Mount wanted to continue, but said he could not take any chances with the attacking midfielder’s fitness given United’s injury list ahead of facing Wolves at Old Trafford on Tuesday 30 December.

“He felt something at half-time and he wanted to go in the second half but we cannot lose more players,” Amorim told Sky Sports after United survived waves of Newcastle’s attacks to go fifth in the Premier League.

Mali end Morocco’s winning streak with spirited performance in 1-1 draw

Result: Morocco 1-1 Mali (Diaz 45+5′ pen: Sinayoko 64′ pen)

Real Madrid star Díaz brought the game into life when he stung the gloves of Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra in the 16th minute before Ismail Saibari’s follow up attempt sailed wide off the crossbar.

Mali responded with an effort of their own when Mamadou Sangare took aim from distance in the 24th minute. 

However, it was the hosts who nicked ahead after Diaz drew a penalty following sustained Moroccan pressure.

The forward found himself in Mali’s box after beautiful work down Morocco’s right flank before Nathan Gassama was adjudged to have handled the ball following a VAR check.

Morocco’s poster boy Díaz made no mistake from the spot with his second goal of the competition to put the hosts in control at the break.

Mali found a way back into the game after the restart when Sinayoko fired the Eagles level from 12 yards following a VAR review, ending Morocco’s run of 10 consecutive games without conceding a goal. 

Walid Regragui shuffled his pack as Morocco desperately chased a winner to join Egypt in the round of 16.

The gamble almost paid off when substitute Youssef En-Nesyri found an opening in the box but could only fire straight at Mali’s Diarra. 

Mali held their own as Morocco threw a sea of bodies forward for a winner.

Morocco now move to four points after two games while Mali join Zambia on two points in group A.

The Atlas Lions will face Zambia on December 29 to confirm their spot in the last 16 while Mali take on Comoros 

Man of the match: Neil El Aynaoui (Morocco)

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has firmly rejected any attempt to recognise Somaliland as an independent state.

He restated that the African Union’s unwavering commitment is to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.

In a press release issued on December 26, the AU Commission Chair said he had taken note, with deep concern, of recent developments relating to Somaliland, warning that any move to recognise it would violate core principles of the continental body.

Mr Youssouf reaffirmed the African Union’s long-standing and consistent position, which is rooted in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, particularly the principle of respecting borders inherited at independence.

He recalled the 1964 decision of the Organisation of African Unity, which affirmed the inviolability of Africa’s colonial borders as a foundation for peace and stability on the continent.

The AU Commission Chair stressed that Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia and said any initiative aimed at recognising it as an independent entity is firmly rejected by the African Union.

According to him, efforts to undermine Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity run directly against the fundamental principles of the African Union.

He warned that such actions also risk setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching consequences for peace, security and stability across Africa.

Mr Youssouf reiterated the African Union’s full and unwavering support for Somalia, including ongoing efforts by Somali authorities to consolidate peace, strengthen state institutions and advance inclusive governance.

The statement underscores the African Union’s position that Africa’s stability depends on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that any unilateral moves threatening these principles will not be supported by the continental body.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Leadership of the Veterans’ Administration, Ghana (VAG), on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, paid a morale-boosting visit to ailing veterans on admission at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, extending goodwill and support to former soldiers during the festive season.

The delegation, led by the Executive Director of VAG, Brigadier General (Rtd) Seidu Adams, toured the hospital wards and interacted with 10 ex-servicemen currently receiving medical care.

As part of the visit, the team presented the veterans with Christmas hampers filled with assorted consumables, alongside envelopes containing undisclosed cash donations, aimed at easing their burden and lifting their spirits.

Addressing the media after the visit, Brigadier General Adams said the initiative formed part of VAG’s annual Christmas outreach programme to ensure that retired soldiers on admission were not forgotten during the season of celebration.

“Christmas Day is a very special day, and we have come to share the greetings and peace of the season with our veteran colleagues who are on admission, We have about 10 of our colleagues here, and they were very excited to receive Christmas hampers from us and a small envelope as well.”
“This will go a long way to boost their morale and also help them psychologically as they recover from their various illnesses,” he stated.

He noted that the gesture was intended not only as material support but also as emotional encouragement.

“We wish them well and hope to see them back on their feet in the coming year,” he added.

Brigadier General Adams explained that the Christmas hospital visits had become a tradition for the Veterans’ Administration, rooted in the values of compassion and solidarity that defined military service.

“Christmas is a period of sharing. Every year, we come to share with our colleagues who are on admission so they can also feel loved, happy and motivated to overcome their sicknesses,” he said.

He used the occasion to deliver a Christmas message to veterans, serving personnel and Ghanaians at large, emphasising love, sacrifice and gratitude.

The visit, he said underscored VAG’s continued commitment to the welfare of Ghanaian veterans, particularly those facing health challenges.

“This season is about love, sharing and sacrifice, whatever we have, we should be able to share with those who do not have. We must also remember that it is by the grace of God that we have come this far,” he said, urging citizens to reflect and strive to live better lives in the year ahead.

One of the beneficiaries, visibly moved by the gesture, expressed deep appreciation to the leadership of VAG.

“I am very, very grateful and honestly shocked because I was not expecting this at all, i never thought you would remember me on Christmas Day, and even more so because today is also my birthday. This means a lot to me, and I am truly thankful,” he added.

BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA

Mali came from behind to draw with Morocco in Group A of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat, which leaves the host nation on the brink of a place in the knockout stage.

It proved to be a tale of two penalties at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervening on both occasions to send referee Abdou Abdel Mefire to his screen.

Brahim Diaz put Morocco ahead from the spot deep in first-half stoppage time after the ball struck the hand of Mali left-back Nathan Gassama.

But the Eagles got a spot-kick of their own just after the hour mark when Jawad El Yamiq scythed down Lassine Sinayoko, and the striker held his nerve amid the whistles to squeeze his effort under Yassine Bounou.

Eagles keeper Djigui Diarra made a fine save with his legs to deny Youssef En-Nesyri and also had to be alert to stop Woyo Coulibaly scoring an own goal in the 10th minute of added time, with the West Africans ultimately settling for a point which will keep them in contention for a last-16 place.

Morocco topped the group on four points, with Mali and Zambia on two points and Comoros at the bottom on one point after their 0-0 draw with the southern Africans earlier on Friday.

Group A concludes on Monday (19:00 GMT), with the hosts taking on Zambia in the capital and Mali returning to Casablanca to face Comoros.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Nana Akwasi Owusu Achiaw has reportedly died after an illness

A popular Twi news anchor with Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM, Nana Akwasi Owusu Achiaw, has reportedly passed away.

According to available information, the respected broadcaster died in the early hours of Friday after suddenly falling ill.

He was rushed to the hospital at about 6:45 a.m. but was pronounced dead shortly after admission.

Details surrounding the exact cause of death are yet to be officially confirmed.

More updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.

The MTN Ghana Foundation has donated 150 baby hampers to mothers who delivered during the Christmas season at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, as part of its annual Boxing Day outreach programme to support families and appreciate customers nationwide.

The donation forms part of a nationwide initiative by the Foundation, which is distributing about 700 baby hampers to mothers in 30 hospitals nationwide during the festive period.

Speaking at the presentation, the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, said the initiative reflects MTN’s enduring commitment to social responsibility and its tradition of giving back to society, particularly during the festive season.

She explained that Boxing Day offers a meaningful opportunity to support new mothers, especially those who may lack essential items required to care for their babies during the critical early stages of life.

“At MTN, giving back is part of who we are. Today, we are here to support mothers who delivered during this Christmas period, to put smiles on their faces and to show our appreciation to our customers and stakeholders for their continued support,” Mrs. Wiafe stated.

She disclosed that out of the total 700 hampers being distributed nationwide, 150 were allocated to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, underscoring the Foundation’s continued partnership with the country’s premier referral facility.

Mrs. Wiafe also used the occasion to caution customers to remain vigilant during the festive season, particularly against mobile money fraud.

She urged the public never to share their Mobile Money (MoMo) PINs with anyone, stressing that MTN will never request such information, and encouraged customers to report suspicious calls through official MTN customer care channels.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital, the Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Charles Takyi, expressed profound appreciation to the MTN Ghana Foundation for its sustained support to the department over the years.

“This is not the first time MTN has supported us. They have been a backbone to the department, including the renovation of our maternity second floor and other critical interventions,” Dr. Takyi said.

He highlighted key challenges facing the department, including the need for improved infrastructure, modern medical equipment, and adequate logistics to enhance maternal and neonatal care.

He therefore appealed to corporate institutions, non-governmental organisations, and development partners to support efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery at the facility.

Dr. Takyi assured the public of the department’s commitment to delivering quality healthcare services in the coming year and extended Christmas and New Year goodwill messages to patients and the general public.

The beneficiaries who received the baby hampers expressed joy and appreciation to the MTN Ghana Foundation for coming to their aid during the festive season. They commended MTN for the timely support, noting that the items would significantly ease the financial burden of caring for their newborns. The beneficiaries also praised the Foundation for its continued commitment to supporting mothers and families, describing the gesture as thoughtful and impactful.