Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has been elected Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Youth, Sports, and Culture for a two-year term.

The announcement was made during a courtesy engagement when the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), in charge of Finance and Administration, Jacob Atule Adongo, formally congratulated the minister on her new continental role.

Adongo, who represented Ghana at the AU Specialized Technical Committee meeting, said Gomashie was unanimously endorsed by member states despite not being physically present at the meeting.

“All the countries endorsed her as Chairperson for the next two years and will be in charge of coordinating ministers responsible for youth, sports and culture across Africa and overseeing policy direction, programmes and reports adopted by Heads of State,” Adongo explained.

According to him, the minister’s extensive work in culture, film, youth development, and governance earned her overwhelming support from fellow ministers and technical experts across the continent.

He noted that several delegates, including representatives from South Africa and Kenya, spoke highly of Abla Dzifa Gomashie’s contributions, with her past work and documentaries referenced during deliberations.

The sector minister, in response, expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in her and acknowledged the collective efforts of Ghana’s delegation and allies within the AU framework.

She also emphasised that the role comes with significant responsibility, including steering continental policies on youth empowerment, sports development, and cultural promotion, as well as ensuring that recommendations from the technical committee are effectively adopted and implemented at the AU level.

The minister also commended Adongo for his leadership and representation of Ghana at the AU meeting, noting that his long-standing experience in youth advocacy and disability rights advocacy prepared him well for chairing technical sessions at the forum.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Joseph Kwesi Amoah, the Special Assistant to the Minister, Richardson Kommey Fio, and Delassie Mabel Awuku, the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer.

Gomashie’s election is widely seen as a boost to Ghana’s influence within the African Union, particularly in shaping youth, sport, and cultural policies across the continent.