Some call her “Nana Yaa plain plain”; “ the Iron Lady”. She is one of the few female journalists in the Ghanaian media space who says it as it is, firm, an outspoken lady who can discuss issues brilliantly across all sectors of the economy without fear or favour.
For Nana Yaa Brefo, currently the lead presenter of “YEN NSEMPA”, the morning show on Onua 95.1fm Radio, these names only reflect how she is perceived.
“Ghanaians know me to be fearless and so called hard but you need that attitude to succeed in our space” says Nana Yaa. She however laughed and said, “ there is life after news and current affairs. I go back to being the woman that I am – soft spoken, warm, loving respectful, humble and all that makes a woman unique”.
Fearless
According to her, fearlessness alone is nothing. “A media person, particularly a woman, has to distinguish herself by being knowledgeable and learning constantly to understand and confidently discuss issues intelligently across all sectors of the economy”.
Passion
Media is my passion, says Nana Yaa. As a young girl growing up in the Western Region, she virtually lived on the radio, listening to presenters and admiring female news presenters such as Beatrice Aidoo of GBC fame. This was the beginning of her love story with radio and she purposed in her heart to be like those female journalists and go beyond that to carve a niche for herself to stand out in the industry.
Now an award-winning broadcaster, who stands as a luminary, a beacon of insightful and an engaging presenter in the current affairs space, Nana Yaa also sadly observed that there were few women in the industry who will venture into challenging areas, particularly political issues discussions and holding duty bearers accountable, so she decided to develop herself to venture into that space.
Beginnings
Nana Yaa is the last of five children born to the late Mr. Rexford Kwaku Brefo and Madam Dorothy Addei Brefo. Her journey into the realm of journalism began at Ghana Institute of Journalism where she laid a solid foundation in her pursuit of journalism. Her first hands-on experience was a 6 months compulsory attachment required by GIJ during her final year. This gave her the opportunity to work with media houses such as the Statesman, TV3 and Peace FM and so on.
Ascent
Nana Yaa Brefo’s ascent to prominence within Ghana’s media landscape was achieved by her dedication and resilience. Even before she graduated from school, she had a job with Despite Media. There she cut her teeth in journalism working as a reporter, producing news bulletins and morning show and other notable shows like ‘Wo Ba Ada Anaa’ and Drive show.
He rich experience include working with Multimedia where she started as a producer for a current affairs show and soon transitioned into the realm of television where she started the morning show with the late Kaba. By dint of hard work, she was assigned to report at the Castle at the time when Former President John Mahama was the Vice President. She also worked at Angel FM presenting the morning show that was simulcast on radio. At the peak of her career, she met now President Nana Akufo- Addo when the NPP was in opposition. She’s also interviewed many prominent Ghanaians including former President John Agyekum Kuffuor. She however is an industrious lady of many parts. In academia, she holds a Doctorate in Humanities, an accomplished MC for events and manages her own business. Nana Yaa is happily married with a son
THE FUTURE
Beyond the undisputed talent behind the microphone, Nana Yaa Brefo desires to achieve more. When questioned whether she has political ambitions, she laughed and said “not for now though I’ve had opportunities/offers come my way”. As to what the future holds she said “In the next few years I’ll like to see myself grow even bigger in the media profession, particularly in the news and current affairs space”. In all of this, she says she remains careful to be herself.
Asked her advice for the youth, Nana Yaa went into a thoughtful mode and said, that young people must come to terms with the fact that life’s journey is not a piece of cake. It is s never an easy one. It has its ups and downs and can be challenging, particularly for women. “No matter where you find yourself, aspire to the top the right way and through the right means”. she said.
