Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare

Early life and education

Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare is the third of ten girls of born to her parents, late Hon Adjei-Mensah a lawyer, businessman and Politician and Mrs. Adjei-Mensah a businesswoman. She attended the St Monica’s Secondary School in Mampong, Kumasi where she obtained both her O & A level certificates. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare then proceeded to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science. She continued to the University of Ghana, Legon to pursue further studies in the field of Law and obtained honors in LLB in 2002. She later obtained a degree in Law in 2004.

Career

Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare started her legal practice with the Holy Trinity Chambers in Kumasi, Ashanti Region in 2004 and rose to become a partner of the Firm. She also became a lawyer for the Legal Aid Scheme in the Ashanti Region. She has been a Board member of the Multi Trust Financial Company in Kumasi from 2004 till date. She is currently a board member of the Federation Commodities Limited.

She was appointed to the Board of the Tema Oil Refinery in 2009 by the President of the Republic of Ghana and served from 2009-2013.Honorable Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare was appointed on 1 March 2013 by President John Dramani Mahama to the newly created/realigned Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts.

Works

As the Sector Minister, she has worked creditably with fourteen (14) Agencies under her ministry and has introduced innovative/novelty tourism programs as an addition to Ghana’s Tourism products & Offerings. Worthy of mention is the #ExploreGhana project launched in 2013 to stimulate and drive domestic tourism in Ghana. After three years of the launch, domestic tourism has received wide coverage by media outlets & organizations. Thus ensuring the country is promoting ‘’Responsible Tourism’’ which offers a diverse tourism product mix, which both local and international tourists benefit from.

Another major traditional festival introduced was the Homogeneous Festival for the GA State. For the first time in Ghana, she has nurtured this Homogeneous Festival to ensure the Greater Accra Region has its own brand festival. She has also restructured the National Festival for Arts & Culture (NAFAC) and the famous Ghana Carnival introduced in her maiden year in office. She is also credited with the setting up of Tourism levy secretariat to help improve the collection & payment of the 1% Tourism levy. This levy has generated substantial funds for the execution of tourism projects especially in the area in of capacity building and tourism promotion.

Other achievements of Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare has been in the area of a legislative framework to support the work of the creative Arts industry. Currently she is leading on the passage of the Film Bill, which has gone through cabinet and has been slated for Parliament to become law. This new bill replaces the old Film Act of 1961 and it is the first that such a new legislative framework is being introduced to ensure the Film and Television sector gets the much-needed legal backing in Ghana.

She led a high powered Government Delegation to accompany the return of the King of Ashanti People, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei II to the Seychelles Islands where the King of Ashanti, Nana Prempeh I was sent to exile during the Ashanti-British war in 1900. It was the first time a sitting Ashanti King has visited the Seychelles Islands.

On the International level, she has led Ghana’s tourism sector by consistently appearing at the major Tourism fairs and exhibitions like the World Travel Market, International Tourism Bourse (ITB), FITUR International Travel Fair, Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair, & China Outbound Tourism & Travel Market (COTTM). Never before has Ghana been marketed on the international level since the last three years of her tenure as the Sector Minister.

She lobbied her colleague African Ministers & the top echelons of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to have Ghana host the first ever Brand Africa conference in Accra in August 2015. Her popularity and energetic role in the International Tourism matters helped Ghana to be elected on to the Executive Council of the UN Tourism body at its 21st UNWTO Session in Medellin Colombia.

Personal life

She is married to Mr. Lawrence Ofosu-Adjare, a Health Service Administrator with 2 children, Lawrence Paapa Ofosu-Adjare and Lauren Maame Ofosu-Adjare.