Former consultant named Director General of NCA Ghana
Joseph Anokye, who has spent the majority of his working life as a consultant in the communications domain, has been announced as the new Director General (DG) of the Ghanaian National Communications Authority (NCA). The former NASA engineer spent the last year as Acting DG at the institution.
The communications domain has become a priority in Africa in recent times, especially since it came to light that the continent is set to have 1 billion mobile internet connections over the next five years. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Ghana has bolstered its National Communications Authority with the confirmation of Joseph Anokye as its DG.
When it comes to telecommunications, perhaps no name is as prominent in Ghana as that of Joseph Anokye. In his youth, he obtained a degree in geodetic engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and technology, following which completed an MBA from the University of Maryland in the US.
In his professional life, Anokye’s consulting work has revolved around the development of telecommunications capabilities across a range of organisations, both within Ghana and internationally. Major clients that Anokye has worked with include the Volta River Authority, which is currently undergoing restructuring, as well as Ghana Telecom, Ghana Commercial Bank, and Ashanti Goldfields Corporation.
Perhaps Anokye’s most notable professional experience was an 18-year spell with NASA, where he was a member of the Global Mission Telecommunication Wide Area Network team as a technical network engineer, stationed at Goddard Space Flight Center. During his time at NASA, Anokye worked with space engineers in Japan, Germany, Canada and even Australia, and developed a mechanism for the secure transfer of data between vehicles, equipment, and base stations.
In addition, Anokye has worked as a telecommunications consultant for a range of companies, including Cisco, Sprint Nextel, KMART< Charles Schwab, and UNICOR, among a number of others.Since 2016, Anokye has consolidated his position as one of the leading technical engineers in Ghana. He was appointed the Director of technology for the New Patriotic Party upon his return, and subsequently the Acting DG for the NCA early last year by President Akufo-Addo.
Now, in consultation with the Governing Board of the NCA and the Public Services Commission, Anokye has been confirmed as the DG for the institution. The NCA is the leading communications authority in Ghana, which is responsible for granting licenses, ensuring fair competition, monitoring of quality, protection of consumers, enforcement of equipment standards, and international coordination.