The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has called on the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), to take a leading role in the strategic marketing of Ghana’s policies, products, and identity, both at home and on the global market.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held at the Ministry of Education in Accra, Mr Iddrisu urged the Council to embed marketing strategy across the public sector and national governance structures.

He emphasised that the role of marketing must go beyond tourism and be fully integrated into all arms of government and development.

“Branding should not sit in the tourism industry alone,” Haruna Iddrisu asserted. “Every Ministry, Department, and Agency must be a marketer of Ghana’s vision, values, and development programmes.”

The Minister further charged the CIMG to lead a national effort to market Ghanaian policies and products on international platforms such as CNN and Al Jazeera, projecting Ghana to its global audience.

He noted that the Ghanaian public is becoming more discerning and demanding of quality, value, and transparency, a trend that requires a professional and strategic approach to public communication and engagement.

“The Ghanaian citizen today is more demanding and more expectant. Marketing, therefore, must evolve into a governance tool used not just for selling goods, but for building trust, shaping perceptions, and driving behavioral change”, he added.

Haruna Iddrisu congratulated the newly constituted CIMG Governing Council, led by National President Michael Abbiw, with Ama Gifty Amoah serving as Vice President, Edwin Letsa K. Kpedor as National Secretary, and Dr. Francis Mensah Sasraku as Treasurer.

He commended the outgone Council, chaired by Dr. Daniel Kasser-Tee, for their dedication to institutional development and urged them to offer continued support to the new leadership.

The Minister also expressed the government’s readiness to support the CIMG’s work and reiterated the importance of marketing as a catalyst for economic transformation.

He called on the institute to brand the country holistically, encompassing culture, innovation, investment potential, and public policy.

Delivering his inaugural remarks, the newly inducted National President of CIMG, Michael Abbiw, expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve and outlined the Council’s vision under the CIMG Act, 2020 (Act 1021), which formally recognises the institute as Ghana’s marketing regulatory body.

Highlighting the Institute’s flagship initiatives, Mr. Abbiw emphasised the growing impact of the CIMG Professional Marketing Qualifications (PMQ) programme, structured with seven specialised pathways and delivered in partnership with Traditional and Technical Universities.

The programme, he said, recently achieved a 77.7 per cent pass rate among 248 candidates.

He expressed the Council’s gratitude to the President of the Republic for the timely constitution of the new governing body and assured that CIMG will uphold integrity, accountability, and the provisions of the CIMG Act and Regulations.

The Institute has set out an ambitious 8-point strategic agenda to expand membership, enhance education, enforce ethics, and strengthen research and advocacy.