President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko as the Acting Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA).

This marks a historic moment for the Authority, as it is the first time a Director General has been appointed from within the organization.

Rev. Ing. Fianko is an electronic communications engineer with over twenty (20) years of expertise in radio frequency spectrum management, telecom and broadcasting regulation, policy formulation, change management, ICT industry research, writing, publishing, teaching, and public speaking.

In 2022, he was elected to the prestigious Radio Regulations Board (RRB) by Member countries of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to serve the global radiocommunications community for a four-year term (2023–2026).

Since joining the NCA as a National Service Person in 2004, Rev. Ing. Fianko has risen through the ranks and was confirmed as the Director for the Engineering Division in January 2024. In this role, he has led teams to plan, administer, manage, license, and monitor radio frequency spectrum for telecommunications and broadcasting services in Ghana. He has also served as Chairman of the Significant Market Power (SMP) Operations Team.

Rev. Ing. Fianko has chaired and also served as a member of several Technical and Regulatory Committees that have shaped industry standards, guidelines, and procedures. Internationally, he has played a significant role in organizations such as the African Telecommunication Union (ATU), the Regional African Satellite Communication Organization (RASCOM), the ITU Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) and the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. His work has also benefited neighbouring countries such as Benin and The Gambia.

Additionally, Rev. Ing. Fianko spearheaded Ghana’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting and served as Secretary to the Digital Broadcasting Migration Committee (DBMC) from 2010 to 2016. His contributions include developing DTT receiver specifications, which were later adopted as ECOWAS standards.

He holds a first degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a Masters in Communications Management from Buckinghamshire New University, England, and an MPhil in Applied Business Leadership and Management from Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain.

Rev. Ing. Fianko is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He is also a Minister of the Methodist Church Ghana, a published author, and the founding leader of the evangelistic outreach ministry, Nkwa.Life.

With a proven track record in technology regulation, leadership, and innovation, Rev. Ing. Fianko brings a wealth of experience to the NCA and is expected to lead Ghana’s communication industry into a new era of growth and technological advancement.

He succeeds Dr. Joe Anokye, as the Acting Director General of the NCA.