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Once once more, some Ghanaian journalists have been celebrated not only for their sensible information gadgets, but in addition how by the lens of factual storytelling, they’ve impacted stakeholders, notably farmers to understand how some fashionable scientific instruments can farming. The awards ceremony reaffirmed the rising significance of evidence-based journalism in remodeling public perceptions about agricultural biotechnology and its function in Ghana’s meals safety journey.
The annual awards, targeted on media reportage on agricultural biotechnology is organised by the ten African nations together with Ghana, with practical Chapters of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) underneath the auspices of the Kenya based mostly African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).
The 2025 Ghana OMA Awardees
The 2025 OFAB Media Awards (OMA) Ghana occasion, held in Accra a couple of fortnight in the past, honoured two excellent media employees who’ve used their platforms to demystify science and promote knowledgeable dialogue round agricultural biotechnology.
Solomon Gumah of the Tamale Office of the Ghana News Agency was one of the awardees. His story, was on the affect of the official launch of the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea, by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) and its companions in Nyankpala, within the Tolon District of Ghana’s Northern Region.
This selection of cowpea popularly often called the black eye beans has been genetically engineered to withstand the bod borer pest, which has been a menace to farmers throughout the West Africa Sub-region. Gumah’s story, which received the Print/Online Category of the OMA, highlighted how the innovation was inspiring ladies’s entry to farmlands and agricultural alternatives within the space.
Noah Nash Hoenyefia, who’s the Northern Regional Correspondent of the Excellency in Broadcasting (EIB) Network obtained the Television Category award. His story efficiently captured the intersection of innovation, native realities, and scientific duty. It portrayed biotechnology not as a magic bullet, however as a dynamic course of formed by collaboration between researchers, regulators, and farmers.
This yr’s occasion was themed: “Promoting Credible and balanced Science Reporting for Quality Seed Development and Food Security.” It projected the ability of evidence-based reporting in advancing biotechnology adoption, and underscored how credible journalism can construct bridges between science and society; notably in an period the place misinformation can simply overshadow years of scientific analysis.
Each of the awardees obtained a plaque, a cheque for GHS 3000.00 and a hamper of assorted provisions. In addition to that, they are going to be sponsored to the African OMA occasions, which is the climax of OFAB’s Annual Review and Planning Meeting (ARPM) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The weeklong assembly opens as we speak, Monday, November 17th and ends on Friday, November 22st, 2025
A Growing Movement for Science-Focused Journalism
Former Director of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Professor Kenneth Danso, who chaired the occasion, praised the OFAB initiative for nurturing a brand new era of science communicators.
“The quality of media stories has greatly improved and reflects the growing interest of the Ghanaian journalists in science and biotechnology reporting, and helping the public see the benefits rather than the fears,” including: “That’s how we build trust.”
Prof. Danso, who’s a member of the Vetting Committee defined that the core choice standards have been: originality, creativity and skill of the journalists to speak complicated scientific ideas to the general public in easy and fascinating methods.
Touching on the cowpea, which is now underneath industrial manufacturing, he mentioned the product is already serving to farmers, notably in northern Ghana. “This crop is climate-smart and environmentally friendly. It lowers production costs and contributes to environmental protection.”
Prof. Danso urged journalists to proceed highlighting each the progress and the challenges in biotechnology adoption, together with farmer schooling, seed regulation, and market entry, to make sure that innovation interprets into actual advantages for society.
The Awards not simply an honour however a possibility to form Africa’s agricultural future
In a stirring goodwill message, Gloria Anderson of the Radio News Division of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and a former OFAB Award winner, said: “Tonight, we aren’t merely giving awards, we’re recognizing affect. We are acknowledging people and establishments who’re pushing ahead Africa’s dream of meals safety, sustainability, and agricultural innovation.
She reminded recipients that their recognition marked the start of a brand new chapter of duty. “This award is not an end – it’s a platform, a microphone, a doorway,” and urged them “to use your voice to speak boldly to policymakers, farmers, and communities. Build partnerships, mentor others, and stay engaged.”
Anderson highlighted how successful the OFAB Award opens doorways for visibility, partnerships, and affect in coverage circles, noting that “these are advantages that in the end improve public understanding of science and expertise.
She additionally inspired younger journalists to see the awards not solely as an honour but in addition as a possibility to form Africa’s agricultural future. “The OFAB network is a family,” she mentioned “and solutions scale, when we collaborate.”
Celebrating the partnership between science and journalism
The Public Affairs Officer of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Zadok Kwame Gyesi, described science and journalism as “two forces that, when brought together, help society make sense of complex realities.”
He underscored that each disciplines are indispensable to nationwide growth. “We cannot take science out of our lives, just as we cannot take journalism out of our lives,” he mentioned. “When the two come together, society benefits immensely.”
Zadok recommended Ghanaian scientists for reaching a historic milestone with the PBR Cowpea – the nation’s first genetically modified (GM) crop accredited for industrial cultivation in 2024. He famous that “the crop, offers farmers protection against the destructive Maruca vitrata pest, reduces pesticide use, and ensures higher yields.”
However, he noticed that this scientific breakthrough had been accompanied by waves of misinformation, a problem that underscores the significance of accountable media protection. “The same media that can spread misinformation also has the power to correct it,” he emphasised. “Evidence-based reporting is our best defence against propaganda and fear.”
Zadok outlined that evidence-based reporting depends on verifiable knowledge, peer-reviewed analysis, and credible sources. Such reporting, he defined, strengthens public belief, empowers farmers and customers, and helps policymakers make knowledgeable choices about applied sciences similar to biotechnology. He additionally urged each scientists and journalists to construct a “mutually beneficial relationship” anchored in transparency and belief.
OFAB Ghana: A decade of fostering knowledgeable dialogue
In an announcement, OFAB Ghana’s Coordinator, Dr. Richard Ampadu, recounted how since its institution in 2011 and hosted by the CSIR, how the initiative has fostered understanding of agricultural biotechnology and bridged communication gaps between scientists, policymakers, and the general public.
His assertion, learn on his behalf by OFAB Ghana’s Project Manager, Enoch Ilori, defined how the group does its work: “OFAB Ghana facilitates informed decision-making through conferences, workshops, and stakeholder engagements.” This is according to its mission: “to educate and update the public about the role of biotechnology in addressing Ghana’s food and agricultural challenges.”
On the OMA, the assertion mentioned, the award scheme was instituted to celebrate journalists who report on agricultural biotechnology with steadiness, accuracy, and depth, noting that over time, the awards have turn out to be a flagship platform for selling science journalism in Ghana.
“Despite misinformation and fear, biotechnology holds transformative potential for addressing food security, climate change, and declining yields,” the assertion mentioned, and emphasised that “the media’s role in bridging this knowledge gap cannot be overemphasized.”
Dr. Ampadu, who can be a Deputy Director on the CSIR- Science Technology Policy Research Institute congratulated this yr’s winners for his or her exemplary work in science journalism, noting that their dedication continues to encourage public confidence and form nationwide discourse on agricultural innovation.
Conclusion
In a world the place misinformation travels sooner than info, Ghana’s rising cadre of science journalists is proving that evidence-based communication stays one of the strongest instruments for nationwide growth. Through their work, they proceed to construct the bridge between the laboratory and the group – guaranteeing that innovation really reaches the individuals it was designed to serve.
The 2025 OFAB Media Awards reaffirmed that when science and journalism work hand in hand, societies turn out to be extra knowledgeable, insurance policies more practical, and applied sciences extra trusted.
By Ama Kudom-Agyemang