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Mrs Ama Nerquaye-Tetteh’s rise to UNESCO top position
Mrs Nerquaye-Tetteh
IF you ask anyone about Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, you are likely to get descriptors like bold, outspoken, strong-willed, but the adjective hardworking is likely to always feature.
She smiled when I asked her about it and said “well, I am a bit of a workaholic, I was often called ‘Adwuma moro’ (workaholic) because I was always doing something growing up. I didn’t shy away from any responsibility; any work or chores available both at home and school, I saw as an obligation. This strong work ethic, nurtured over the years has served her well.
Our personality today is Mrs. Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, currently the Secretary-General of the Ghana Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Mrs Nerquaye-Tetteh, 43, who is from a family of seven, lived and schooled in different parts of the country, attending several primary schools because of the nature of her father’s work as a Policeman. Together with her family, they moved across various districts in the Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Bono regions. According to her, this helped her appreciate and tolerate diversity later in life.
She started her secondary education at Keta Secondary School but after a year, moved to Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) at Koforidua where she completed her O’ and A’ levels in 1996.
From there, she attended the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where she obtained an Honours Degree in English and French in 2001.
From 2002 to 2004 she attended the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom UK, where she had her master’s in international communication and later did further studies at the University of Bedfordshire also in the UK for her post-graduate certificate in Education with a Qualified Teacher’s Status (QTS) to become a professional teacher.
In 2017, she obtained a master’s degree in educational leadership and management from the University of Ghana and is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in the same course at the University of Cape Coast.
WORK LIFE
Mrs. Nerquaye-Tetteh says she is a teacher at heart. Having taught for both National Service years in Kumasi and Shama, she knew that teaching and training others was her calling. After her professional degree, she taught for a while in the UK and returned to Ghana in 2008 and has taught variously at the Tema International School, SOS Hermann-Gmeiner International College, Association International School and German Swiss International School.
According to her, teaching brings her joy because it connects her to young people- a demographic she is passionate about. “We must encourage and involve young people in all facets of our development.”
In 2017, Mrs Nerquaye-Tetteh became the Secretary-General of the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, a government agency with the mandate to associate Ghana, both governmental and non-governmental organisations, with the work of UNESCO.
Their mandate includes representation, liaison, and advocacy. Although a comparatively small specialized quasi-governmental agency, the Commission is muti-sectoral and works directly with seven ministries and NGOs in these sectors on many projects, conventions, compliance as well as advocacy.
“We ensure Ghana is well represented with experts at UNESCO and that our voice as a country is well heard in global discourses.” And she is performing very well at her job, having successfully gotten the Commission legally established by an Act of Parliament after 65 years of its existence.
She has also been responsible for rejuvenating the Commission in all its programme areas; currently, Ghana is the only African country to have three UNESCO Centres of Excellence and they were all achieved during her tenure.
In 2022, she presided over the 8th Global meeting of the National Commissions of UNESCO. She was awarded the African Female Personality in the Multilateral Sector at the African Women Awards in Egypt in 2022 because of these achievements. Ama Serwah is also currently the President of the Asante Professionals Club; a not-for-profit , development- minded club and think- and- do tank .
Ama Serwah credits God’s help for these achievements and is quick to add that they were not achieved on a silver platter. According to her, her transition from the private to public sector was an interesting learning curve for her.
“In the private sector, the lines of command were not so long, and you do not have to ask so many people permission to get on with things. You are in-charge of your classroom or department and so long as what you wanted to do was within your key performance Indicators, you carried on with it,” she said.
“I think there is something noble in public service. The fact that I am contributing my quota to change the development narrative is motivating,” she said.
POLITICS
When I told her I was surprised to see her in politics- Ama Serwah contested the Kumawu by-elections after the death of Philip Basoah on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and placed second after the primaries and was the only female among seven males- she told me that she has always been public service-minded and that is what she sees politics as; a will to help the people
This is why she feels she is still contributing her quota to the development of the country even though she is not the Member of Parliament. “I have always been interested in bettering the lot of others.
She expressed the wish to see more women in parliament come next elections. We need more representation; we need more voices. Only women can better articulate and champion issues that affect women so that together, we find solutions”.
FAMILY LIFE
Ama Serwah is married and blessed with three teenage children. In her view, marriage is a partnership and must be mutually rewarding.
For her, marriage is not an end in itself, one is married only as one facet of one’s life, it should not stop you from developing yourself and helping your partner do same. We are supportive of each other and I am thankful for that. “
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu