The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has presented diplomatic passports to five distinguished Ghanaians in recognition of their contributions to promoting Ghana and Africa’s image on the global stage.
The recipients — travel vlogger Wode Maya, reggae icon Rocky Dawuni, broadcaster Anita Erskine, visual artist Ibrahim Mahama, and entrepreneur Dentaa Amoateng MBE — were honoured on Wednesday, September 17, at the Media launch of the Diaspora Summit 2025, jointly organised by the Office of the President – Diaspora Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Ministry, the initiative is part of a new strategy to broaden Ghana’s diplomatic toolkit by empowering cultural ambassadors whose global reach and influence can strengthen trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and soft power diplomacy.
Wode Maya (Berthold Kobby Winkler Ackon)
Wode Maya is Ghana’s most celebrated travel vlogger and YouTuber. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, he has built a massive digital following by showcasing African destinations, entrepreneurship stories, and compelling narratives that highlight the continent’s development.
His channel features thought-provoking, inspirational videos and interviews with diplomats, entrepreneurs, and cultural icons.
By travelling across Africa and documenting Africans contributing to Africa’s progress, Wode Maya has become a powerful storyteller and connector for the continent.
Rocky Dawuni
Rocky Dawuni is a multiple-time GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and activist whose “Afro Roots” sound blends African rhythms with Caribbean and American influences. Beyond music, Dawuni is a global advocate.
He serves as the UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment for Africa, a UN Foundation Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, and a Global Ambassador for the World Day of African and Afrodescendant Culture.
His career includes eight solo albums, live concerts, panel engagements, and youth empowerment initiatives, all carrying a message of unity, environmental sustainability, and cultural pride.
Anita Erskine
Anita Erskine is a veteran broadcaster, media entrepreneur, and communications expert widely respected across Africa. Fluent in multiple languages, she is known for hosting flagship media programmes while championing youth development, women’s empowerment, and pan-African dialogue.
She has become an influential voice in shaping African narratives, passionately advocating for Africans to own their stories as a pathway to continental prosperity.
Ibrahim Mahama
Born in 1987, Ibrahim Mahama is one of Ghana’s most celebrated contemporary visual artists, with studios in Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale. His large-scale installations, often created from discarded materials, draw attention to Ghana’s colonial past, global capitalism, and the resilience of everyday labour.
Mahama’s work has been exhibited worldwide, positioning him as a leading voice in contemporary art. In addition to his international acclaim, he invests his resources in social development and building infrastructure for Ghana’s local art scene, ensuring art becomes a vehicle for both dialogue and transformation.
Dentaa Amoateng MBE
Dentaa Amoateng is a British-Ghanaian entrepreneur, broadcaster, and diaspora leader. She is the founder and president of the Grow Unite Build Africa (GUBA) Enterprise, a social enterprise dedicated to advancing Africans and the diaspora through socio-economic initiatives.
She also established the celebrated GUBA Awards, which honour excellence among Africans in the diaspora. Dentaa’s career spans deal brokering, lobbying, funding acquisition, and diaspora mobilisation.
Currently, she serves as the Liaison Executive Officer for the Greenwich-Tema Meridian Link, promoting trade and business opportunities between Ghana and the UK. With more than a decade of enterprise building and 20 employees under her leadership, Dentaa is recognised as a driving force for African diaspora engagement.
Minister Ablakwa noted that the selection of these five individuals reflects a deliberate approach to leverage their diverse influence spanning digital media, music, broadcasting, contemporary art, and diaspora mobilisation.
By granting them diplomatic passports, the government hopes to empower them to more effectively project Ghana’s identity, connect with global networks, and advance people-to-people diplomacy.
Together, their combined reach is expected to amplify Ghana’s image across key markets, opening doors for trade, cultural exchange, and tourism while reinforcing the country’s position on the global stage.
