Profile of Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Minister-designate for Tourism, Arts & Culture

Having been nominated by President Akufo-Addo as Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal faces the Appointment Committee of Parliament today for vetting.

The former CEO of Graphic Communications Group has been moved from the Business Development Ministry which he had been heading since its creation in 2017 to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry subject to approval by Parliament.

When approved, Dr. Awal would replace Barbara Oteng Gyasi who took over from Catherine Afeku in February 2019.

Below is Dr. Awal's profile.

Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal was Ghana’s Minister for Business Development. He was adjudged the Most Business Oriented Minister of Africa, Designing Economic Development through Innovative Solutions. He was also named the Best Performing Minister and the Most Outstanding Minister in Ghana for 2018 and 2019 respectively. Dr. Awal was Ghana’s Marketing Man of the year, ‘2009’.

Among other laurels, he has been accredited with developing an entrepreneurship policy for Ghana. During his tenure as Business Development Minister, Dr. Awal served as a Special Envoy of the President to a number of countries such as Hungary, Morocco, Italy, Central African Republic, Kenya, and Guinea Bissau on African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). He also led business delegations to a number of countries including the United States of America, India, Turkey, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, United Kingdom, Qatar and Portugal.

Dr. Awal is the former Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Limited, Ghana’s biggest media organization. He was also the Managing Director of Chase Petroleum. As an entrepreneur, Dr. Awal is the founder and owner of a number of companies such as Marble Communications Group Limited, publishers of The Finder Group of Newspapers, HMW printers, Marble Consultants and Marble Developers.

He holds a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration with specialty in succession planning and business competitiveness from the Swiss Business School and three master’s degrees in various disciplines from different universities. He has Masters in Applied Business Research - Swiss Business School, Switzerland, Executive Masters in Business Administration (University of Ghana Business School, Legon) and Masters in International Journalism (University of Wales, UK). Dr. Awal has also done courses in Business Strategy at Harvard Business School, USA and oil production and management at Oxford, UK.

As a graduate of three reputable Business Schools; University of Ghana Business School, Harvard Business School and Swiss Business School, Dr. Awal is committed to improving the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ghana.

He has worked as a consultant for a number of organizations where he offered consultancy services in the areas of business strategy, management, marketing and communications.

Dr. Awal has also consulted for Diplomatic Missions, Development partners as well as state institutions.