8 Institutions, others rewarded for promoting SDGs, sustainability

A civil society organisation has rewarded eight corporate bodies and three personalities for promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Environmental and Social Governance (ESG).

They are the Accra Technical University (ATU), which took three awards - SDG Energy Curriculum, SDG Teaching and Learning, as well as SDG Research;  SDG Financial Services, GCB Bank Plc; SDG Infrastructure Company, Ghana Gas Company Ltd; SDG Entertourism Facility of the Year, Volta Hotel; SDG Oil Company (midstream), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST); and SDG Public Sector Institution of the Year, Ministry of Education.

Some personalities who were rewarded at the event included the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, Energy Transformational Leader; Odelia Ntiamoah, SDG Transition Captain of Africa; Emmanuel Aboagye-Wiafe, SDG Media Personality.

At the awards night held last Friday, the Graphic Communications Group Ltd. (GCGL) also emerged as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Communications Company of the Year.

The fifth African Energy and Sustainability Awards was held to climax a three-day ESG Energy and Sustainability Summit held at Akosombo in the Eastern Region.

The summit was attended by state institutions, private entities, players in the financial sector and media organisations.

Think Energy Africa Media, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), instituted the award scheme to recognise industry players and institutions that have contributed significantly to enhancing the SDGs and ESG.

Accra Technical University

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of ATU, Prof. Amevi Acakpovi, said the three awards the university picked up at the event were a reflection of quality leadership, innovation and collaboration with key stakeholders.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum (5th from left), Minister of Education, with Prof. Amevi Acakpovi (4th from right), acting Vice-Chancellor, Accra Technical University; Salifu Nat Acheampong (2nd from right), Manager of Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Limited; Odelia Ntiamoah (4th from left), Think Energy SDG Transition Captain of Africa Winner; and some award winners after the ceremony. Pictures: ELVIS NII NOI DOWUONA

"Behind victory, there is a lot of hard work and determination, and I must say that we have the potential always, but it takes leadership to drive it out of people.

"It is this leadership at ATU that has helped us to have innovative ways of doing things and have impacted on the lives of students and other stakeholders," he said.

He said the institution was focused more on training and capacity-building, as well as increasing collaboration with industry players, both at home and abroad, as well as introducing innovative courses.

GCGL's commitment

The Managing Director (MD) of GCGL, Ato Afful, who led a team from the company to the summit, said the award was a testament that as a brand with a national character, GCGL had lived up to its responsibility to promote the national development agenda by projecting what principal stakeholders were doing.

He said the award underscored the need for the editorial team, the writers and other workers who were helping to promote the sustainability agenda to do more going forward. 

"All our brands are helping to promote the sustainability agenda because information is at the tip of education, and relevant information, which is factual, truthful and relevant, is that which GCGL's brands represent. We will continue to do that to ensure that education goes to all parts of the 16 regions of this country," he said. 

Mr Afful added that the role of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was a Co-chair of the UN Secretary General's Eminent Group of SDG Advocates, had also helped to promote what GCGL was doing in that space.

"Through Junior Graphic’s National Essay Competition, for instance, the President has personally contributed prizes, which included taking winners to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, which is an enlightening opportunity for any young person who gets such a privilege to develop," he said.