Deep Dive: Stories from The Labari Journal

This episode discusses Zeepay's ongoing legal conflict with a major bank in Ghana, brought to light by activist Bright Simons, which highlights significant vulnerabilities within Ghana's digital payment infrastructure. The core of the dispute revolves around Zeepay's inability to manage GHC 150 million in unsettled liabilities, leading to their banking partner severing ties. This situation exposes...

This episode discusses the increasing scrutiny and legal actions against individuals in Ghana, often referred to as "fraud boys," who are involved in online scams, particularly romance and inheritance fraud. The episode highlights prominent cases such as Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, or "Dada Joe Remix," and celebrity Mona Faiz Montrage, both facing extradition and charges in the U.S. for their alle...

This episode discusses Dr. Tessa Pijnaker’s research on the challenges faced by Ghanaian tech entrepreneurs. It discusses how adopting the "fail fast, fail often" Silicon Valley mindset can lead to severe socio-economic decline for young adults who don't pivot to waged employment. It does a deep dive on the significant personal costs, including strained family relationships, social isolation, miss...

This episode discusses the Petronia City Project, an ambitious 2000-acre development in Ghana launched in 2013 with the aim of creating a fully integrated business hub for West Africa's oil, gas, and mining industries. Despite its grand vision, which included residential, commercial, and industrial zones, and an estimated cost of $695 million, the project has made little progress over the past dec...

This episode discusses a Swiss oil executive who has filed a formal complaint with Ghana's Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), accusing two Ghanaian petroleum firms, Springfield Exploration & Production Ltd. and GMP Energy Ltd., of a $94 million fraud scheme. The petition details two alleged schemes: one involving unreceived funds from a petroleum sale through BOST, and another concern...

This episode analyzes a significant shift in Tanzanian politics under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Initially perceived as a reformist leader who reversed authoritarian policies, her administration is now reportedly consolidating power as the October 2025 general elections approach. The episode highlights concerns about media suppression, with journalists and outlets facing bans and arrests under...

This episode details a Deloitte investigation into Development Bank Ghana (DBG) , revealing significant issues. The investigation, spurred by an activist, uncovered problems like contract delays , insufficient legal reviews , and a $6 million discrepancy in the bank's IT budget. It criticizes DBG's governance , specifically highlighting a technology committee that approved expensive IT infrastruct...

The episode discusses the controversy surrounding the introduction of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in Ghanaian schools. It highlights the overwhelming backlash from religious groups, traditional leaders, and even some educational stakeholders who feared the curriculum would promote homosexuality and corrupt Ghanaian values. Despite the potential benefits of CSE, such as reducing teen pr...

This episode discusses the opinion piece from The Journal arguing for the abolition or optionalization of Ghana's National Service Scheme (NSS). Initially established in 1973 to address critical manpower shortages, the article asserts that the NSS has become outdated and inefficient in modern Ghana, forcing graduates into often irrelevant roles for minimal pay. The episode discusses issues such as...

This episode looks at Ghana's upcoming ambitious new 24H+ policy, an economic initiative designed to transition the nation to a 24-hour, export-driven economy. This plan, set to launch in July 2025, aims to create millions of jobs and boost industrialization by integrating various sectors through eight key pillars, including agriculture, manufacturing, and finance. The episode looks at skepticism...

The episode discusses the controversy surrounding Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, the CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), regarding his PhD qualifications. He faces accusations of possessing fake credentials from an online institution named Kingsnow University, which is now defunct and has an inactive website. The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has report...

This episode discusses Ghana's plan to create a sex offender registry, initially announced in 2020 by the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to track convicted individuals and deter future crimes. Despite the announcement, there has been no public update on the registry's development or launch date as of June 2025. The article contrasts this with other African nations like South A...

This episode explores the potential benefits of Ghana adopting open source software (OSS) for its government services, drawing parallels to a Swiss mandate requiring government entities to use OSS. This episode argues that for African nations with limited resources, OSS offers cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and the avoidance of vendor lock-in. Examples of both successful and unsuccessful softwar...

This episode discusses the problematic rollout of 5G service in Ghana, which has faced significant delays and criticism since its initial planned launch. Despite promises and announcements from various parties, including MTN Ghana and the Ghanaian government, the service has not yet become widely available. A key issue highlighted is the controversial granting of an exclusive, 10-year license to a...

This episode discusses the challenges faced by Telecel Ghana after acquiring Vodafone Ghana, despite initial expectations of improved service. Customer complaints regarding poor network quality, dropped calls, slow internet, and inadequate customer service have been prevalent on social media and reported by users. This comes as MTN Ghana continues to hold a dominant market share, while Telecel has...

This episode discusses how Ghana's rapid urban development, particularly in Accra and Kumasi, is causing a significant decrease in urban green spaces. There has been a 30% reduction in the last decade. This loss leads to increased temperatures, worsened air quality, and higher flood risks, impacting residents' health and well-being. While Ghana has laws regarding land use and green areas, weak enf...

This episode discusses Ghana's urgent need for an emergency broadcast system to better inform its citizens about potential dangers and critical incidents. It highlights past events, such as gas explosions and dam spillages, where timely public notification was lacking, leading to confusion and casualties. It suggests that cell broadcast technology is a proven and effective method used in other cou...

This episode explores Affinity Africa, a fintech company in Ghana building a digital bank inspired by Nubank. The company started with a microfinance license and is patiently navigating regulatory hurdles to offer full banking services through a mobile app and other platforms. Affinity focuses on providing loans to individuals and small businesses, developing its own credit scoring engine based on...

This episode highlights the significant disparity in treatment and funding between male and female athletes in Ghana, particularly in football. It details instances where women's teams have had to protest for promised payments, contrasting this with the substantial media attention and financial support given to the men's team despite inconsistent performance. The episode also discusses cultural ba...

This episode explores the challenges and criticisms surrounding the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), the body responsible for distributing royalties to Ghanaian musicians. It highlights the frustration of creatives who report receiving minimal payments, citing examples like Stonebwoy and Ohemaa Mercy. It details the difficulties GHAMRO faces, including a lack of reliable technology for mo...

This episode explores the evolving landscape of tattoo culture in Ghana, highlighting its transition from traditional body markings with cultural and spiritual significance to a modern form of personal expression and fashion, influenced by global trends and social media. It discusses the work of tattoo artists like Winston Vasnani and the growing tattoo indu...

This deep dive focuses on the challenges faced by Dr. Paul Azunre and his team at Ghana NLP in developing Artificial Intelligence tools for Ghanaian and other African languages. Despite limited funding and a lack of institutional support, they have successfully built machine translation and speech systems for various languages, often with fewer resource...

This episode discusses the evolution of Accra's nightlife scene, highlighting a shift from community-focused venues to more profit-driven spaces. Kobby Graham notes how the rise of social media and the "Boiler Room effect" have transformed DJing into a performance for the camera, prioritizing spectacle over the music itself. Furthermore, his article explains how a preference fo...

This episode discusses the failed attempt by Ghana to establish a new national airline in 2023 under the Akufo-Addo administration. Despite signing agreements with Ashanti Airlines and Zotus Group, the planned airline, known as Ghana Airlines, did not launch as expected, reportedly due to Ashanti Airlines lacking the necessary Airline Operator's Certificate&...

With a lack of event spaces to house events, Ghana is losing out on millions of dollars in revenue due to a lack of infrastructure. How can the country turn things around and take advantage of a growing number of events on the continent. Read all our stories at labarijournal.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.