Ghana's Public Relations Body Pushes for Licensing Law as Cabinet Backs Bill

Ghana's public relations institute opened its 2026 national summit in Koforidua with word that cabinet has approved a draft law that would formally regulate the practice. The announcement came at the start of the three-day event and its 38th annual general meeting on Thursday, October 22, with the government saying it is committed to securing passage of the bill by the end of the year. The summit ran under the theme of public relations and leadership readiness.

A legal framework for practice

The proposed legislation is expected to strengthen professional standards and create a structured framework for the industry, according to the Institute of Public Relations Ghana. The Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, relayed the cabinet approval through Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Hajia Shamima Muslim. The institute said discussions on a permanent secretariat were also nearing completion, a step that would give the body a standing administrative base.

Institute president Esther A.N. Cobbah used the opening to caution organizations against mistaking eloquence and polished presentation for professional competence. She said effective public relations requires specialized knowledge, ethical judgment and leadership skills beyond the ability to speak confidently or present information attractively, and warned that handing communication duties to untrained people could damage institutional credibility and public trust. The institute is also working to bridge the gap between academic training and what the industry needs.

Ethics and the fight against fabricated content

Cobbah urged practitioners to uphold the Athens Code of Ethics and called on the public to report unprofessional conduct, saying the institute's disciplinary committee is prepared to act on complaints. Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, in a related address, warned against fabricated content and manipulated information on social media, urging communication professionals to put accuracy and ethical conduct ahead of speed. He said practitioners must serve as strategic advisers.

The summit also hosted the institute's excellence awards, which recognize contributions to the profession and promote standards in strategic communication. The Ghana Revenue Authority was named Public Relations Organisation of the Year 2025 in the public sector category. The authority said the recognition reflected its commitment to professional public relations and effective communication in carrying out its mandate, and that it uses strategic communication to strengthen relationships with taxpayers, the media and the public.

Florence Asante, the authority's deputy commissioner of communication and public affairs, said public relations is more than publicity and functions as strategic management that builds trust and supports organizational objectives. She said the award reinforces the need to invest in communication professionals so their work contributes meaningfully to management decisions. The authority said several staff in its communication and public affairs department are active members of the institute.

The Ministry of Roads and Highways took the same public sector honor for the second consecutive time. The institute's citation pointed to timely information on road projects and the use of innovative communication tools, and commended a public relations unit led by Nasir Ahmad Yartey, a practitioner with more than 17 years of experience in the public sector. The ministry has introduced digital communication tools, expanded social media reporting, used visual storytelling and strengthened crisis communication systems.

What it means for communication careers

The push toward a statutory framework could reshape how public relations work is staffed and valued in Ghana's public and private institutions. A formal licensing structure would give employers a clearer benchmark for hiring, and it would raise expectations for continuous professional development. The institute's emphasis on leadership readiness signals that it wants practitioners positioned as advisers in decision-making rooms rather than as publicity handlers.

What to watch next is whether parliament passes the bill before the year ends and how the institute builds out a permanent secretariat. The disciplinary committee's willingness to act on public complaints will be another test of whether the new standards carry weight. For now, the awards show that institutions are being judged on measurable communication practice, including digital tools, crisis systems and stakeholder engagement, rather than on message polish alone.