The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has challenged the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana (IPR Ghana), to lead the training of Members of Parliament and political leaders in strategic communication and leadership readiness.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 National PR Summit at Capital View Hotel, Koforidua, on the theme “Public Relations and Leadership Readiness”, the Speaker said leadership today is no longer just about the authority exercised but how leaders connect with people, explain decisions and inspire confidence.
He said Ghana’s democracy is suffering not from lack of laws or policies but from a deficit of leaders who can communicate with clarity, empathy and integrity, particularly in an era of misinformation and artificial intelligence.
According to him, political leaders often fail because they lack the ability to listen, to distill complex issues simply, and to build trust through consistent and transparent communication.
The Speaker noted that public relations professionals possess the unique skill set to bridge this gap, stressing that PR is about mission clarity, institutional credibility and the capacity to conduct oneself wisely under pressure.
He said Parliament under his leadership deliberately invested in PR expertise, which led to transformational initiatives such as Parliament TV, live-streaming of proceedings, sign language interpretation, Parliament Connect, Citizens in Focus, Parliament Aayalolo, Editors’ Forum and the Democracy Cup.
He disclosed that those initiatives, engineered by PR professionals, helped Ghana’s Parliament to be adjudged the most open unicameral Parliament in Africa in 2022 and 2024 by the Open Parliament Index, and attracted over 20,500 educational visitors in 2025.
According to him, the same expertise that transformed Parliament can transform political leadership across the country if IPR Ghana is empowered to train MPs, Ministers, District Chief Executives and party communicators.
He urged IPR Ghana to position itself as the official leadership communication training partner for Parliament and other state institutions, to ensure that leadership readiness is grounded in ethical, strategic communication.
He added that true PR is not spin, propaganda or corrupt speech, but strategic wisdom that builds institutions and sustains democracy.
By Robert Dela Mawuenyegah, (Member, IPR Ghana) // Newswatchgh.com
