The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has presented diplomatic passports to five distinguished Ghanaians in recognition of their contributions to projecting 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 influence can strengthen trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and soft power diplomacy.
Wode Maya
Wode Maya, born Berthold Kobby Winkler Ackon, is Ghana’s most celebrated travel vlogger and YouTuber. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, he has built a massive following by showcasing African destinations, entrepreneurship stories, and compelling narratives that highlight the continent’s development. His inspirational content features diplomats, entrepreneurs, and cultural icons, positioning him as a powerful storyteller and connector across Africa.
Rocky Dawuni
Rocky Dawuni, a multiple GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and activist, is known for his signature “Afro Roots” sound, which fuses African rhythms with Caribbean and American influences. He also 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 spans eight solo albums, global concerts, and youth empowerment initiatives rooted in unity, environmental sustainability, and cultural pride.
Anita Erskine
Veteran broadcaster and media entrepreneur Anita Erskine is widely recognised across Africa for her commanding presence in communications and advocacy. Fluent in multiple languages, she has hosted flagship media programmes while championing youth development, women’s empowerment, and pan-African dialogue. Erskine is also a strong advocate for Africans to take ownership of their stories as a pathway to continental prosperity.
Ibrahim Mahama
Born in 1987, contemporary visual artist Ibrahim Mahama is internationally acclaimed for his large-scale installations crafted from discarded materials, which interrogate Ghana’s colonial past, global capitalism, and the resilience of everyday labour. With studios in Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale, Mahama has exhibited worldwide while also investing in Ghana’s local art ecosystem to make art a tool for dialogue and transformation.
Dentaa Amoateng MBE
Dentaa Amoateng, a British-Ghanaian entrepreneur and diaspora leader, is the founder and president of Grow Unite Build Africa (GUBA) Enterprise, dedicated to advancing Africans and the diaspora through socio-economic initiatives. She also established the GUBA Awards to celebrate diaspora excellence. Her career spans lobbying, deal brokering, and diaspora mobilisation, and she currently serves as Liaison Executive Officer for the Greenwich-Tema Meridian Link, promoting Ghana–UK trade and business opportunities.
Minister Ablakwa said the government’s decision to recognise the five personalities reflected a deliberate strategy to harness their influence across digital media, music, broadcasting, art, and diaspora mobilisation.
By granting them diplomatic passports, he explained, the government hopes to enable 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, driving trade, tourism, and cultural exchange while reinforcing the country’s global standing.
