…to mark International Coaching Week
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) Ghana Chapter is marking the 2025 International Coaching Week (ICW) by launching two groundbreaking initiatives: a Peer Coaching Program and an IGNITE project. These efforts highlight the Chapter’s commitment to professional development and community impact, representing a bold step forward in fostering international collaboration and social responsibility.
The International Coaching Week, established in 1999 by the International Coaching Federation, is celebrated annually in May. It is a global week celebrating the impact and transformation professional coaching brings to human capital development. The week offers coaches worldwide a platform to showcase the transformative potential of coaching in individuals, organisations, and communities.
Over the past two decades, ICW has grown into a significant event, marked by workshops, pro bono and “low bono” coaching sessions, and collaborative projects in over 140 countries.
ICW 2025 is especially meaningful, considering the theme, “Inspire, Transform, and Thrive”. The ICF Ghana Chapter, which is taking this year’s theme practically, has launched its first Peer Coaching Program. This initiative is designed to provide ICF Ghana Chapter coaches with a structured platform through which to exchange coaching services, deepen their practice, and receive valuable feedback from fellow professionals.
Peer coaching is widely recognised as a crucial tool and intervention for continuous learning and professional growth. Coaches often serve others with limited opportunities to be coached themselves, thus creating a reciprocal learning environment.
According to Mr. Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah, President of the ICF Ghana Chapter and Ghana’s First Master Certified Coach-MCC, “The Peer Coaching Program is not only a way to strengthen coaching skills but also a means to build trust, enhance emotional intelligence, and ensure accountability within the coaching community.”
The program’s format pairs coaches based on experience and coaching styles, ensuring each participant benefits from diverse perspectives while sharpening coaching practice. It also includes reflective exercises and progress tracking for long-term growth.
One of the highlights of the maiden Peer Coaching Program is the active involvement of ICF-certified coaches from Rwanda. This cross-border collaboration underscores the shared values of excellence and unity within the coaching profession across the African continent.
Coach Yeboah said, “Including Rwandan coaches adds a unique cross-cultural dimension to the program. It encourages empathy, cultural intelligence, and professional enrichment for all participants. We believe learning from peers in different countries can help dismantle stereotypes and foster greater unity among African professionals.”
Through virtual platforms, Ghanaian and Rwandan coaches have engaged in rich dialogues, exchanging insights on coaching methodologies and learning how to navigate cultural nuances in their coaching practices.
To further ICF Ghana’s focus on professional growth, development, and advocacy to uphold the golden standards of the International Coaching Federation, the ICF Ghana Chapter embraces the social responsibility drive through its first-time participation in the ICF Foundation-led IGNITE project, an initiative using coaching to leverage and accelerate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IGNITE encourages credentialed coaches to volunteer their services to non-profit organisations working with underserved populations.
As part of this initiative, ICF Ghana has committed to supporting the Village of Hope Orphanage, a well-established children’s home and educational facility in the Central Region. Credentialed coaches (i.e., Associate Certified Coach, Professional Certified Coach and Master Certified Coach) will offer leadership coaching as personal and professional capacity-building support to the orphanage’s administrative staff, teachers, and caregivers.
“Supporting Village of Hope is our way of giving back,” noted Coach Yeboah. “We recognise that the impact of coaching is not limited to boardrooms and businesses. Coaching can transform lives in orphanages, schools, and shelters too. Through IGNITE, we aim to empower those who dedicate their lives to the welfare of others.”
As ICW 2025 begins, the ICF Ghana Chapter has set a powerful precedent for future celebrations. With its dual focus on internal development through peer coaching and external impact through IGNITE, the chapter reinforces the true spirit of coaching—one that inspires, transforms, and thrives.
The success of these initiatives also reflects the growing maturity and influence of Ghana’s coaching industry. It points to a future where Ghanaian coaches are leaders in their local communities and active participants in global coaching conversations and collaborations.
As the Peer Coaching Program continues and the IGNITE project unfolds, ICF Ghana invites coaches, professionals, and community leaders to join in this journey of growth and impact—one conversation at a time.
