Namibia, as part of its strategic move to strengthen its newly passed Access to Information Law, the Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has today, 20th September, 2024 paid a working visit to the Right to Information Commission of Ghana. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the Commission’s best practices and processes in regulating access to information in Ghana.

The Namibian delegation, led by officials from the Ministry and the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), engaged in a comprehensive discussion with the Right to Information Commission led by the Executive Secretary, Yaw Sarpong Boateng Esq. and other management members namely; Stephen Owusu Esq., Head of Legal, Kate Swanzy, Board Secretary, Mr. Vincent Opoku, Head of Finance and Vivian Tetteh, Head of Tribunal. The focus areas included how the Commission accepts and processes applications, the challenges encountered, and the decision-making process.

The Ghanaian Commission shared its experience in implementing the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), providing the Namibian delegation with valuable insights. The Executive Secretary also presented the Commission’s annual reports for 2021, 2022, and 2023, highlighting the importance of public education and sensitization to ensure better compliance with the law.

The Namibian delegation was advised to prioritize the establishment of their regulatory office and also ensure that the Independence of the regulatory office is not compromised. The Executive Secretary implored the Namibian delegation to consider joining the African Network of Information Commissions (ANIC) and the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) to further enhance their knowledge and experience.

The Commission assured the Namibian delegation of its readiness to share experiences and other training practices between the Commission and the regulatory office when finally established by the Namibian government.

This collaborative effort between the Namibian government and the Right to Information Commission of Ghana is very essential since it fosters international cooperation in the field of access to information and will aid Namibia to set properly its regulatory office with a believe that as Namibia sets up its own Information Commission, the lessons learned from Ghana’s experience will undoubtedly contribute to the successful implementation of their new Access to Information Law.

The Namibian delegation comprised of Mr. Shasimana Uugulu – Deputy Director: Production, Mr. Fillemon Johannes – Deputy Director: ICT Development, Ms. Ruusa Ntirde – CRAN, Mr. Reagan Malumo – Deputy Director: Audio Visual and Ms. Jacky Hindjou -1st Secretary to the Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana.