Government Ministries and agencies are the major wheels a nation rides on, they contribute significantly to the development of its people and are handed the responsibility to ensure a particular sector of the country is effectively managed.
In Ghana, several ministries oversee the day-to-day management of the country, these ministries and state agencies are led by appointed political persons known as ministers.
Usually, the political appointees are the known face of the ministries and agencies, however, the key players in the ministry are the local government staffs who are led by a non-political actor known as the Chief Director.
The Chief Director is the highest non-political office in government ministries and agencies, he or she is the Chief Administrative officer within the Ministry and acts as the Chief Advisor to the political head.
The Chief Director coordinates monitors and supervises the work of the directors within the ministry and other matters related to the sector.
In Ghana, just as in most African countries, positions such as the chief director of a ministry or government agency are predominantly male-dominated.
But in recent times some women have reached such a height and are making strides.
Public Sector Global magazine takes a look at five female chief directors leading major government ministries and agencies in Ghana.
1. Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi – Chief Director for the Ministry of the Interior
Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi is an educationist and a lawyer by profession, she has over two decades of experience working in Ghana’s public sector.
She previously worked at the Ministries of Transport, Education and Agriculture in various capacities.
Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi has She has also served on several Boards, Committees, Delegations and Teams and has rich expertise and experience in Policy formulation and implementation.
She is an advocate for women’s empowerment, child development and other security-related issues.
She holds an Executive Master’s in Consultancy and Project Management Services (EMCP), BA (Hon.) Political Science, Bachelor of Law and Teacher hold a Cert. A.
2. Felicia Dapaah – Chief Director, Local Government Service
Felicia Dapaah is a distinguished civil servant, until her latest appointment as Chief Director of the Local Government Service she was the Chief Director and Regional Coordinating Director at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, a position she has held since August 2020.
She has also worked in several capacities in the local service structure.
They include; Adentan Municipal Assembly as the Municipal Coordinating Director from September 2017 to January 2020.
From April 2013 to August 2017, Madam Dapaah worked at the Ga West Municipal Assembly as the Municipal Coordinating Director.
From May 2010 to March 2013, she served as the Director and District Coordinating Director at the Bosomtwe District Assembly.
Between January 2005 and August 2010, she was the Deputy Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and Assistant Director 1, in the same space from January 2002 to December 2004.
Felicia Dapaah holds MPA, Commonwealth Executive Masters in Public Administration, from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, which she earned from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), in 2002. Additionally, she holds B.A. Social Sciences, from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in 1989.
3. Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah – Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy
Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah assumed the position of Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy in 2022
She previously worked as the Chief Director at the Ministry of Education.
She has served in various capacities in the Research, Statistics & Information Department – Special Projects Division of the Ministry of Tourism and also worked as the Deputy Registrar of Scholarships at the Scholarships Secretariat.
She holds an MBA in Education Leadership from the University of Cumbria’s Robert Kennedy College in the UK and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Human Resources and Globalisation from Leicester University, UK.
She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from GIMPA.
4. Dr. Afisah Zakariah – Chief Director, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
Afisah Zakariah a medical doctor by profession has worked in the public space for over 30 years.
She has served in various capacities including being Chief Director; for the Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Planning and is currently at the Gender Ministry.
5. Cynthia Asare Bediako – Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology
In 2022, Cynthia Asare Bediako was appointed Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.
Before that, she served as the Chief Director at the office of the vice president a position which she held since 2017.
She acquired a master’s degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Ghana, she also holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from the Institute of Social Studies in the Hague.
She obtained her first Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
By: Alexander Bombande
