The Nobel International Business School (NiBS) has sworn Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, an Economist, and Dr. Felix Nana Abaka Sackey, a financial expert and administrator as Chancellor, and Deputy Chancellor respectively to steer affairs of the school.
Dr. Donkor, who is the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), and Dr. Sackey, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ibistek Group, an engineering and consulting firm whose Investiture were held at the NiBS campus in Accra last Saturday, marks a new beginning for the school, which attained full university status in December last year.
Dr. Donkor who is also a lawyer and academician, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His expertise in economic policy, development and governance is expected to provide strategic guidance to the university’s academic and research programmes.
On the other hand, Dr. Sackey takes on the role of Deputy Chancellor with a strong background in business administration and management and said he was poised to support the university’s mission to provide world-class business education.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Donkor who set a new vision to ensure that NiBS became a centre for entrepreneurial excellence, said the new leadership of the university would focus on fostering a culture of transformation, innovation, resilience, and problem-solving skills.
He said the university would also focus on training business leaders who are not only top seekers, but also top creators, and build stronger partnerships with the private sector to ensure that graduates from NiBS are equipped with the skills that industries demanded.
Stressing the critical need for knowledge of international trade, financial markets and economic policies, Dr. Donkor said he will steer the expansion of NiBS curriculum to include capital outflows such as blockchain technology, sustainable finance, artificial intelligence and digital entrepreneurship.
“As part of our transformational drive, graduates from NiBS would be trained to be ambassadors of integrity, accountability, and excellence, ensuring that they contribute meaningfully to national and continental development,” he said. “Our scholars must provide solutions to present challenges such as youth unemployment, financial exclusion and inequality,” he added.
Dr. Donkor noted that they had accepted the responsibility with a firm commitment to upholding the values and vision of NiBS and expressed gratitude to the Founder of NiBS, Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, and the Governing Board for the trust and confidence reposed in them to lead the university.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, President John Dramani Mahama called for more partnerships between the university and state institutions to learn from their experiences and develop capacity-building programmes in order to achieve the needed results.
Emphasizing his government’s political will to see all businesses thrive, President Mahama said under his administration, no business perceived to belong to a political opponent would be targeted or destroyed. “No perceived political opponent who owns a business will be pursued or will be targeted for destruction or closure,” he said.
President Mahama further urged all entrepreneurs and business people to feel free to expand their businesses and carry out their objectives. He also congratulated NiBS on their achievements, noting that NiBS had gained a lot of prominence and respect on the continent and across the world. “We know this is a school that produces a lot of businessmen and entrepreneurs,” the President said.
