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Francisca Ashietey-Odunton

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Amb.
Francisca Ashietey-Odunton
Ghana High Commissioner to Turkey
Incumbent
Assumed office
2020
PresidentNana Akuffo-Addo
Preceded bySalma Frances Mancell-Egala[1]
Personal details
Born
Francisca Ashietey

Ghana
Political partyNew Patriotic Party
SpouseOlu Christopher Odunton
Children2
Alma mater
OccupationBroadcaster, diplomat

Francisca Ashietey-Odunton (née Ashietey) is a Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and diplomat. She was the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and since 2021, she has been Ghana's ambassador to Turkey. Before that, she served as Ghana's High Commissioner to Kenya from 2017 to 2021.[2][3][4]

Early life

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Francisca Ashietey attended Aburi Girls' Senior High School for her Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates. She attended the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where she obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Sciences with a major in English.[5]

She is a barrister at law with 16 years of experience, having been called to the Ghana Bar after obtaining her LLB from the Ghana School of Law in 1997. She holds a master's degree in media and communication from the London School of Economics. She also obtained a graduate certificate in human rights/international cooperation at the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan.[6]

Career

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Francisca Ashietey-Odunton has over 20 years' experience as a broadcaster with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. She joined the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in 1990 as a senior production assistant attached to the Production Division where she worked on various programmes including Kyekyekule, Children's Own, Adult Education and Country Music. She was also a TV presenter. She rose through the ranks as producer and director, after which she was transferred to the TV newsroom in 1994. She served in various capacities there as news reader, editor and presidential correspondent for eight years. She later became Chief Editor and was transferred to the legal division as Senior Legal Officer. Ashietey-Odunton has covered international conferences, including the African Union Summit, Ecowas Summit and World Food Summit.[7][8]

She was first appointed Deputy Director-General General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in November 2013.[9] She was subsequently made the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in May, 2016.[10]

Ambassadorial appointment

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On Wednesday 2 August 2017, the president of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo, named Francisca Ashietey-Odunton as Ghana's high commissioner to Kenya. She was among four other distinguished Ghanaians who were named to head various diplomatic Ghanaian missions in the world.[2]Even though, she was ambassador to Kenya, she had oversight roles over four other countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. Under her guidance, Rwanda established its first diplomatic mission in Accra, Ghana in 2020.[5][11]

In Kenya, Ashietey-Odunton was also Ghana's permanent representative to the United Nations offices in Nairobi which host the organisation's two bodies in sub-sahara Africa, that is United Nations Environmental Protection and the United Nations Human Settlement Programme. Also, as Ghana’s Permanent Representative she served as Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) Bureau of UNEP and oversaw the 4TH  UN Environment Assembly and also served as Africa’s Representative and Rapporteur of the UNEP CPR Bureau.[5]

In 2021, she was reassigned to head Ghana's embassy in Turkey. She presented her letter of credentials to the President of Turkey in September that year.[12]

Personal life

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Ashietey-Odunton is married to Olu Christopher Odunton; the couple has two daughters.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Kwame Asare Boadu,"Prez Mahama presents Letter of Credence to new envoy", Graphic Online, 26 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b Graphic Ghana,"GBC's Francisca Ashitey-Odunton appointed High Commissioner to Kenya", Graphic Online, 03 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Former newscaster appointed acting D-G of GBC". pulse ghana. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine". Retrieved 2022-05-28.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Ambassador | Ghana Embassy - Ankara, Turkey". 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  6. ^ "Francisca Ashitey competent for GBC job – Kate Addo". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Francisca Ashietey Odunton is new Deputy Director General of GBC". Multimedia Group. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Committee set up to provide mechanisms for online child protection". Graphic Communications Group Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  9. ^ "PICTURED: Fmr. Newscaster Francisca Ashietey Odunton Is New Deputy Director General Of GBC". Peace Fm Online. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  10. ^ "NMC appoints Francisca Ashietey-Odunton acting D-G of GBC". Graphic Communications group Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Rwanda Opens Mission In Ghana".
  12. ^ "Ambassadors of Switzerland and Ghana present their credentials to President Erdoğan".


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