Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante

Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante
NationalityGhanaian
EducationKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Ghana School of Law

University of Milan
Occupation(s)Lawyer, Acting Director of the Nation Folklore Board, Founding Director of Social Bridge

Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante is a former acting director of the National Folklore Board and was at that time one of the youngest government agency heads in Ghana.[1][2][3]

Education

Asante studied law at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and proceeded to obtain her professional law degree at the Ghana School of Law. She has certificates in Sustainable dispute resolution and International anti-corruption from the University of Milan.[4] She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Gender, Peace and Security at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre, Accra.

Career

Asante is a lawyer,[5] with expertise in the areas of commercial litigation, corporate governance and intellectual property. She is the Founding Director of The Social Bridge, an NGO which seeks to empower women and children living on the streets through education and as well as projects to improve their livelihood.

Asante has worked with laws firms both in Ghana and abroad including Scarlet Macaw Legal Practitioners, JLD & MB Legal Consultancy, and secondment to Fresh Fields Bruckhaus Derringer and NCTM Milan.[4]

In 2017, she was one of two female lawyers selected by the Association of Law Firms in Italy to participate in a six-month professional development program, where she took courses in Sustainable Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development & International Anti- Corruption.[4]

Asante has also represented Ghana at the WIPO Intergovernmental meeting on traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions (folklore). Under her leadership, the National Folklore Board (NFB) has helped to the promote and protect Ghanaian folklore.[6] In 2019, for the first time, Ghana celebrated the World Folklore Day, marking it with a three-day programme. As part of the plan to introduce Ghanaian folklore to the youth, the NFB also launched its folklore clubs in 2019.[7]

Adjoa is a member of the Heritage Fund Committee.[citation needed]

Achievements

Instrumental in the set-up of Creative Arts Rights Court[5] and assisted in drafting a Memorandum to Creative Arts Bill.[8]

Facilitation of UNESCO Needs Assessment of Ghana's Intangible Cultural Heritage Project[9]

Secured NFB to be the focal institution for 2003 UNESCO Convention

Identifying/ licensing commercial users of Ghana's folklore

Establishment of Folklore Clubs in selected basic schools[7]

Protection of Ghana's folklore from improper use (including correspondence with Marvel Studios on use of Kente and Adinkra symbols in the film Black Panther.)[10]

Institution of the celebration of World Folklore Day in Ghana.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ "'We'll seek compensation from businesses that use folklore'". Graphic Online. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  2. ^ "National Folklore Board launches 'Know Your Folklore' campaign". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante: The gender agenda - Mere tokenism versus real empowerment". MyJoyOnline.com. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Asante, Nana Adjoa. "Report on 6 months experience in Milan". www.aslawomen.it (in Italian). Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Ministry sets-up Creative Arts Mediation Committee". BusinessGhana. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Mrs. Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante – National Communications Authority". Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b "National Folklore Board to set up folklore clubs in all schools nationwide – Acting Director". www.ghanaweb.com. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Tourism Ministry Sets Up Creative Arts Mediation Committee". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Creating an Enabling Environment for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (CH) In Ghana". UNESCO. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Folklore Board to sue producers of Black Panther movie over use of kente". Graphic Online. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  11. ^ "World Folklore Day". Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Ghana promotes unique history, culture on World Folklore Day". www.ghanaweb.com. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020.