Journalists in Ghana now have a new resource to help them navigate complex financial reporting following the launch of The Media Guide on Illicit Financial Flows, Tax Justice, and Domestic Resource Mobilisation Reporting in Ghana. The 128-page guide was unveiled in Accra on Friday, August 1, 2025.
Developed under the project: Tax for Development: Strengthening Civil Society and Media for Fiscal Justice, implemented by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) through OXFAM in Ghana, the guide is already being described as a “Bible” for journalists investigating financial crimes.
Speaking at the launch, Rosemond Ebi-Adwo Aryeetey, Senior Programme Manager for MFWA, emphasized that the guide is not just another publication but a practical tool. “When it comes to reporting on IFFs, journalists sometimes lack the knowledge and specialized skills needed to navigate the complex world of financial crime. This guide is designed to empower journalists to investigate, report, and expose crimes that deprive our nations of resources needed for development,” she said.
Oxfam’s Country Director, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the guide aligns with the organization’s work to ensure national resources are used for the common good. “The media plays a pivotal role in uncovering and reporting financial crimes. But to perform this duty effectively, journalists require not only courage and curiosity but also practical tools. This guide provides that framework,” he noted.
Representatives of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) also welcomed the publication. GJA Vice President, Rebecca Ekpe, described it as an indispensable resource, while PRINPAG’s Executive Secretary, Jeorge Wilson Kingson, said it empowers journalists “to turn information into impact.
Delivering the keynote, Special Guest of Honour, Ernest Owusu Addo of the National Media Commission (NMC) warned that the guide would only make an impact if applied. “Ghana loses over US$1.4 billion annually through illicit outflows. No document, no matter how robust, will change our fortunes if it remains on the shelf. The power of these guidelines lies not in the printing, but in the practice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Bishop Akolgo, the consultant who developed the guide, presented an overview of its content, highlighting its detailed definitions, case studies, investigative approaches, and ethical guidelines tailored to the Ghanaian context.
The launch brought together finance and taxation experts, civil society actors, law enforcement representatives, and journalists, underscoring a shared commitment to equip the media to hold power to account and advocate for fiscal justice.
Click here to access the full media guide or here to access the abridged version.
