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The Institute of Public Relations, Ghana (IPR) has elected Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, a fellow of IPR and a seasoned communications professional, as its President.
The elections took place during the Institute’s 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on May 3, 2024, at Rock City Hotel, Kwahu in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
The AGM, which was preceded on May 2, 2024 by the Institute’s Annual National Communications Summit, also saw the election of the following executives of the Institute: Donald Gwira, a private Communication consultant, as Vice President, Solace A. M. Akomeah, of Ghana Water Limited, as Honorary Secretary, Abraham Otabil of Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as Deputy Honorary Secretary, and Gabriel Nii Otu Ankrah of Methodist Health Trust, as Treasurer.
In her acceptance speech, Ms. Cobbah articulated her vision of working with all members to grow IPR, Ghana as a strong professional community of excellence, with an enduring and impactful voice nationally, as well as continentally and globally.
She said, “I thank you all who have participated in this election and selected me to lead this great Institute. I am here to serve. By God’s grace, it will be my privilege to provide a leadership that pays close attention to your needs, your aspirations and your concerns. I offer not only a pair of listening ears but also a heart that beats for PR and cares about you, hands that will work and legs that will walk with you and on your behalf. You have agreed to come with me and make it happen. Let’s make it happen.”
Ms. Cobbah stated, “I want to thank God for all His blessings to me, including this honour of being elected today as President of IPR, Ghana. I can say in the words of the prophet Isaiah to the Almighty: “… all that we have accomplished you have done for us... your name alone do we honour.” (Isaiah 26:12b and 13b).
Mr. Mawuko Afadzinu, who handed over as President to Ms. Cobbah, said he has confidence in the ability of the new executives to continue to grow the institute.
Gathering Public Relations practitioners from across the nation, the Summit and AGM, with the theme "PR Excellence in the Age of Misinformation, Disinformation, and Information Overload", provided a platform for the communication professionals to network, exchange ideas on innovative practices, and deliberate on issues central to the profession and the Institute.
After successfully completing their professional accreditation processes, the Institute also inducted forty-seven practitioners as Associate and Accredited Members.
Ms. Cobbah, a veteran communication specialist with over 40 years of professional experience, is the Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Communications Africa (Stratcomm Africa) which she set up thirty years ago. She sits on the Board of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and the Advisory Board of the College of Education of the University of Ghana, in which is the Department of Communication Studies.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a postgraduate diploma in Communication from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Masters in Communication from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, majoring in Communication for Developing Nations, Organizational and
Intercultural Communication. She is an International Rotary Scholar.
Ms. Cobbah has been an industry trailblazer in many respects. She set up the Public Affairs Department of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and was the first Manager of the Department. She was also the first External Affairs Manager of the West African Gas Pipeline Project (WAGP, now WAPCO), sponsored by Chevron, Shell, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Société Beninoise de Gaz, Société Togolaise de Gaz, managing a team drawn from the four participating countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria).
Ms. Cobbah’s dedication to the Institute is evident through her longstanding service in various capacities over the years, including her recent tenure as member of the Executive Council of the Institute and Chair of its Professional Awards Committee.
She has also established award-winning professional and social initiatives such as Annual Reputation Week, Ghana Garden and Flower Movement/Show, Women SHARE, Read It, Write it, Say it.
Committed to leveraging communication for national development and individual empowerment, she has mentored and trained numerous communications professionals in the country and beyond and continues to do so.
She is a pioneer facilitator on the Female Future programme, a partnership between the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) and the Ghana Employers Association aimed at skilling up professional women in Ghana to take up senior executive and board positions.
Ms. Cobbah is also a Gestalt practitioner, with a qualification in Organisation Systems Development, and is on the Faculty of the novel Gestalt Africa Leadership Programme (GALP).
The Institute of Public Relations, Ghana (IPR, Ghana) is a professional body for Public Relations practitioners in Ghana. It was founded in 1972 and registered as a professional body under the Professional Bodies Registration Decree, 1973 (NRCD 143). Amongst its roles, IPR, Ghana exists to provide a professional structure for the practice of public relations and enhance the ability and status of its members as professional practitioners.
