Ismail Akwei is a communications specialist, broadcast and digital journalist, product manager, media trainer, editor, writer and media manager with over a decade’s experience working with multinational media companies across Africa.

He was the Editor-in-Chief of the AfricaWeb group comprising GhanaWeb.com, CamerounWeb.com, TanzaniaWeb.com and MyNigeria.com. He managed the group’s editorial direction, media partnerships and digital products including GhanaWeb TV and the GhanaWeb Reporter among others.

Ismail Akwei led a successful transformation in news and content production at GhanaWeb. He also created the annual GhanaWeb Excellence Awards in 2021 to recognise excellence in Ghana. He hosted The Lowdown, a sociopolitical talk show – among many other programmes he created for GhanaWeb TV – to inform and educate the public on issues of national and global interest.

Ismail Akwei was formerly the editor of the New York-based Pan-African online portal, Face2FaceAfrica.com; and a senior journalist and television presenter at Africanews, a subsidiary of France-based Euronews.

As a journalist for over a decade, starting from Ghana’s Information Services Department (ISD), the Ghana News Agency (GNA) and the University of Ghana’s campus radio station, Radio Univers, Ismail Akwei has garnered immense experience in all roles and facets of the media from reporter to editor-in-chief.

In his previous role as editor at GhanaWeb, he helped the online platform maintain its top position in Ghana. With that experience, he became the pioneering editor of CameroonWeb.com which he nurtured to its current position as the topmost news site in Cameroon.

Ismail Akwei accepted a challenge and moved to the Republic of Congo where he developed an online strategy as a pioneering journalist for the newly launched Africanews. He got the new bilingual brand to be accepted continent-wide, especially in Anglophone countries. He was also the pioneering presenter of Sci-Tech, a science and technology segment on Africanews TV’s flagship morning show, The Morning Call.

Face2Face Africa became the premier source of Pan-African history and culture stories as soon as Ismail Akwei joined the company as editor after leaving his senior journalist role at Africanews towards the end of 2017. He led its team of diverse writers to retell the African story from the African perspective. His innovative strategy gave the brand a competitive edge over other Pan-African news and culture websites.

Ismail Akwei is an impeccable leader, planner, coordinator and executioner who motivates his team to overcome challenges and achieve goals. He is committed to transforming the African media landscape into a global and competitive brand that will be well-positioned to change the African narrative and project Africa’s positive image and that of its global diaspora.

Ismail Akwei is passionate about encouraging young people to develop their talents. He founded the Junior Journalists and Communicators Club (J2C2) in Ghana to help students build a career in the media. He is also a member of the Zongo Inspiration Team (ZIT), a non-profit organisation that mentors underprivileged youth from underserved communities in Ghana to become responsible adults.

He has written extensively on a wide range of national and international events bordering diverse fields. His areas of interest include international politics; arts, culture and tourism; human rights; Pan-Africanism; digital technology; history; and international relations.

Ismail Akwei has spoken on several panels and made presentations on topics including digital journalism, media freedom, fake news and blogging, among others. Some of the events and conferences he has spoken at include the Media Foundation for West Africa’s WAMECA 2019, the annual Ghana Bloggers Summit where he has been a speaker since 2019, and the 2022 YouTube Creators Festival Ghana, among others.

He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Media Management from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ); a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Ghana; a Diploma in Communication Studies from the African University College of Communications (AUCC) and several certificates from diverse institutions.

Ismail Akwei is a member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Online News Association (ONA) and the Intenet Society among other professional and social groups.