The Executive Chairman of the KGL Group, Mr Alex Apau Dadey, has called on the Ghanaian media to stop undermining successful local businesses, urging a more balanced and supportive approach to reporting on indigenous enterprises.

Speaking at the official launch of the 29th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards in Accra, Mr Dadey questioned the tendency to celebrate foreign conglomerates while local companies face constant criticism and suspicion.

“The tendency to undermine our own across the country is worrying. The default reaction to successful local champions is often suspicion rather than celebration. Why do we cheer foreign conglomerates but question the success of local ones?” he asked.

Mr Dadey, who was recently honoured at the Millennium Excellence Awards for his outstanding contributions to business excellence, entrepreneurship, and corporate governance, emphasised that national transformation cannot be achieved by government alone.

He said private enterprises play a critical role in development and should be treated as partners in growth, not as risks or adversaries. “The government must stop treating the private sector as a risk to be managed or, worse, an adversary to be constrained,” he urged.

His company's name has recently been mentioned by The Fourth Estate following a contract the firm secured with the National Lottery Authority (NLA), but the firm has denied any wrongdoing.

The 29th GJA Media Awards, to be held under the auspices of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will celebrate excellence in journalism and is expected to attract both national and international dignitaries.

GJA President, Mr Albert Dwumfuor, highlighted the essential role of journalists in nation-building and democracy. “As we launch the 29th GJA Awards today, let us be reminded that the story of Ghana cannot be written without the voices of her journalists, and that our future as a nation depends on the strength, integrity, and patriotism of our media,” he stated.

Government Spokesperson, Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who also attended the event, commended the GJA for sustaining the awards over the years. “We intend to do whatever we can to make this year’s celebration a success. Let me also congratulate you for holding the fort and sustaining this event, which has become the most sought-after within the journalistic fraternity,” he said.

Top honours at the awards will include the prestigious GJA/P.A.V. Ansah Journalist of the Year, Best Female Journalist of the Year, Komla Dumor Most Promising Journalist of the Year, and Best Student Journalist of the Year.

The GJA National Executive expressed appreciation to corporate partners for their continued support and encouraged more organisations to come on board to make the 29th edition a resounding success.