Kwasi Afriyie Badu: A quiet force behind journalism growth

By Fiifi NETTEY

When the story of journalism growth in Ghana comes to be told, one person who cannot be left out of the narrative is Kwasi Afriyie Badu. He inevitably stands out among individuals who have, through dedication to and vision for a responsible and credible media, especially as envisaged by the 1992 Constitution, helped to shape the journalism profession in Ghana for what it is today.

Popularly known as KAB, the acronym of his name, by his peers, his contributions to the growth of journalism in Ghana through service to the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) have been quite phenomenal. He started his exploits at the beginning of the 1990s through to the 2000s and beyond, and has left an indelible mark on the GJA’s efforts to defend press freedom and promote media professionalism and accountability.

Kwasi Afriyie Badu, CEO KAB Consult                                                                                         

My first encounter with him was over three decades ago when I was employed as a casual worker at the old Press Centre, the GJA secretariat that – at the time – was housed in rented premises at Kokomlemle, Accra. This was long before the association relocated in 2003 to its current premises; its own headquarters, the Ghana International Press Centre (GiPC) near the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). The opportunity for that first encounter was provided by the celebration by the GJA of the U.N. designated day, the World Press Freedom Day, May 3.

I remember it fell on a Tuesday. Mr. Afryie arrived early in the morning at the Press Centre. I recall vividly that he greeted all three members of staff of the Press Centre then present, which included me, before asking the whereabout of Bright Blewu, the GJA General Secretary at the time. When he was told that the General Secretary was in his office, he wasted no time and headed straight there. He returned a few minutes later and started inspecting the arrangements.

He made a request quietly to me to add one more chair to those at the high table and to set up a registration desk where all participants were to be duly registered. I later got to know that day that he was the Programmes Coordinator of the German non-governmental organisation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. The German foundation was a major sponsor of that day’s event. The FES was, in fact, a leading sponsor of many GJA programmes at the time.

My further interactions with him over the years during programme planning and organising events marked the beginning of a long and lasting working relationship that has had a remarkable influence on me and helped to shape my professional journey when I enventually gained full employment at the Press Centre.

Mr. Afriyie was a regular visitor to the Press Centre as a result of his work at FES and my working relationship with him grew by leaps and bounds when in 1996 the GJA Press Centre project enjoyed a 2-year sponsorship from the European Union through the Bussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), under the auspices of the FES.

He was instrumental in strengthening the association’s institutional framework and championing capacity building for GJA members and non-members alike. His knowledge in Political Science, Administration and, later, Law made him a good advisor to the GJA, especially concerning media practice and programmes. I had the privilege of working closely with him, particularly during my time as an assistant on the GJA Ethics Committee, chaired by Frances Ademola, the renowned broadcast journalist who worked with Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) during the corporation’s formative years.

Mr. Afriyie contributions to the GJA are too numerous to recount. He was part of the 16-member GJA Press Centre Building Project Committee, chaired by Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, the then GJA President who supervised the construction of the GiPC. Mr. Afriyie represented the GJA on the then National Governance Programme sponsored by the UNDP. It was through his efforts that the GiPC recieved support for the initial furnishing of the centre. He played a pivotal role in securing project funding from USAID for training journalists in business and financial reporting, and he was deeply involved in drafting of the current GJA Constitution – a document that still governs the association today.

Mr. Kwasi Afriyie Badu is currently Chief Executive Officer of KAB Governance Consult, which he set up in 2000. He is a governance expert and lawyer who has been instrumental in strengthening the relationship between the media and Ghana’s democratic institutions.

While consulting for the Electoral Commission under the then-Chairman of EC, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, he played a pivotal role in securing journalists’ rights to cover national elections and in encouraging the commission to open its doors to the press. He has also been a strong advocate for public accountability and transparency and was key in institutionalising the Electoral Commission’s tradition of holding press conferences before every election to brief Ghanaians and the international community on its preparedness.

Beyond structures and constitutions, Mr. Afriyie Badu invested in people. I owe much of my professional growth to his guidance. He taught me the art of media monitoring—how to track stories across radio, television and the emerging online space. He showed me how to coordinate projects efficiently, meet deadlines and, above all, uphold excellence. His work ethic was uncompromising: programmes had to be executed and completed before the day ended. “No loose ends,” he would often remind us. His humility and integrity remain unquestionable.

Travelling with him across the country for various media and capacity-building workshops was equally transformative. He approached every engagement with the same passion, ensuring that journalists, no matter where they were, benefitted from the tools and training needed to improve their craft. For those of us privileged to work alongside him, Mr. Afriyie Badu has been more than a mentor. He has been a perfectionist, a teacher and, above all, a quiet but resolute force behind the progress of journalism in Ghana.

>>>the writer is a media consultant 

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