Executive Director, AfricanLiberty.org
Franklin Cudjoe is Founding Director of Ghanaian think tank IMANI, dedicated to fostering public awareness of important policy issues concerning business, government and civil society. He is managing editor of AfricanLiberty.org and Acting Chief Evangelist of the multiple award-winning mobile technology to fight counterfeit medicines, mPedigree.NET. The Foreign Policy Magazine named IMANI, the fifth most influential think tank in Africa in 2009.
Franklin is a frequent commentator in print and broadcast media about Africa’s development issues including appearances on BBC, CBC, Swiss and Swedish National TV, Austrian National Radio and varied local Ghanaian media, and has been published or quoted severally in London’s Daily Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal (all three versions), Bangkok Post, Washington Times, El Mercurio (Chile), La Republica (Costa Rica),the Ottawa Citizen, the San Francisco Chronicle, Netzeitung Voice Of Germany the Ghanaian Daily Graphic, Accra Daily Mail, Ghana Web, My Joy online, and many others. He speaks to policy makers and students around the world.
He is co-author of "The Water Revolution: Practical Solutions to Water Scarcity" International Policy Network press, 2006 (with forewords by Hernando de Soto Nobel Laureate nominee and Sir Ian Byatt). Franklin is also co-author of “Peace and Prosperity through World Trade”,
commissioned by Evian Group & the International Chamber of Commerce and published by Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, University Press, 2010. Franklin is one of nine African think tank leaders and Commissioners of The Zimbabwe Papers, a blueprint which examines the causes of Zimbabwe’s social and economic problems and offers urgent and practical reform that will enable the country to become a thriving, peaceful and prosperous country.
He holds fellowships from a wide range of organizations including the Mont Pelerin Society, George Mason University’s Institute of Humane Studies, the New School of Athens, Institute Bruno Leoni, Evian Group at IMD, Independent Institute, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE),
International Policy Network, and ATLAS Economic Research Foundation.
He has won two John Templeton Foundation awards for advancing the institutional foundations of the free and democratic society in 2006 and the Antony & Dorian Fisher $100,000 award for the most innovative and dynamic African think tank. Franklin was an honoured guest of
Bill Gates Snr in October 2005 and spoke to the Gates Foundation on health economics in Africa.
He has been cited in the U.K. House of Commons debate on aid and development in Africa and by South Africa’s Supreme Court Judge on patents and Intellectual property in June 2005 April 2006.
He has shared panel with respected academics such as Deepak Lal and former Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Estonia. He debated President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania on colonialism and globalization in November 2005.
The World Bank Ghana Africa region asked IMANI to help shape the World Bank’s strategy for Africa, even though Franklin and his colleagues have been calling for an exit strategy for the bank and de-emphasising over reliance on aid for development and encouraging African governments to run freer economies and transparent governance. Franklin is one of few individuals, the United Kingdom’s government recently consulted on how to make effective use of British’s aid.
After earning a B.S. from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Land Economy, Franklin received a Certificate in Austrian Economics from the Institute for Economic Studies in Paris and a Certificate in Leadership and Think-Tank Management from the
Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan.
Franklin is an Earhart doctoral fellow at Buckingham University in the U.K focusing on the impact of corporate social investment in Ghana and donor driven projects. He is a member of the April 2011 graduating class of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education for Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation’s Think Tank MBA programme.
Franklin was named Young Global Leader for 2010, by the World Economic Forum.
Ms June Arunga is the founder and president of Open Quest Media LLC, a film and television production company in New York City.
She is a Law graduate from the University of Buckingham in England.
She has written and hosted several television documentaries for BBC and Channel 4, UK.
"The Devil’s Footpath" about her 5,000 mile journey from Cairo to Cape town through six conflict inflicted countries.
"Africa: Who is to Blame?" which she co-hosted with the former president of Ghana – Jerry Rawlings.
"Africa’s Ultimate Resource", profiling African immigrant entrepreneurs, why they leave and what happens to their ventures when transplanted to a different political and economic regime.
She also worked with renowned Swedish economic historian Johan Norberg, on "Globalization is Good", based on his award winning book, In Defense of Global Capitalism.
Ms. Arunga has a passion for economics and explores the impact of economic policy on wealth creation in various industries in Africa through her documentaries.
Her documentaries have been aired by BBC, Australian Broadcasting Network, Channel 4, UK, SABC, South Africa and numerous other broadcasters around the globe.
She is regularly featured on several television interviews and conferences around the globe and has always used these platforms to advocate for international and national economic policies that would open up Africa for vibrant trade.
In February 2007 Ms. Arunga co- authored a study on "The Cell-Phone Revolution in Kenya", published by Istituto bruno Leoni, a Milan based public policy think tank, and International Policy Network, a London based public policy charity.
The study was the subject of BBC "NewsNight" mini-documentary by the same title.
Ms. Arunga is a member of the Board of Advisors for Global Envision in the United States, The Inter-Region Economic Network, an economics think tank in Kenya, Grassroot Free Markets, a public policy nonprofit in Hawaii, The Bastiat Society in Charleston, South Carolina, and is on the Creative Council of the Moving Pictures Institute in New York.
She is a H. B. Earhart Graduate Fellow of Law, a Fellow at IMANI Center for Policy & Education, the International Policy Network- (IPN) – a London based public policy charity, and Senior Fellow with the Istituto Bruno Leoni, a Milan based public policy think tank.
Publisher/Director of Outreach, AfricanLiberty.org
Adedayo Thomas is a Nigerian. Adedayo Thomas is affiliated with the Atlas Economic Research Foundation’s Global Initiative for Free Trade, Peace and Prosperity and serves as the Publisher and Director of Outreach of its AfricanLiberty.org program. He is also affiliated with IMANI Center for Policy and Education, a think tank based in Ghana. Adedayo is libertarian and strives to promote ideas and institutions of the free society in the core institutions of Africa. Nigeria. Adedayo has a B A(Theatre Arts) and Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations from University of Jos and Nigerian Institute of Journalism respectively, a Diplomate of Cato University in Philosophy, History, Jurisprudence, and Economics of Liberty and an MBA in Think -Tank management from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in Washington D.C.
Adedayo has undertaken many field research related to the provision of public services. He has written and presented several papers on economic development, conflict, good governance and democracy at national and international conferences. He co-authored –A letter from Jonathan Gullible based on the original novel, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible by Ken Schoolland. He has published in both national and international print media.
Adedayo has published the African Edition of In Defense of Global Capitalism by Johan Norberg, Selected Essays on Political Economy by Frederic Bastiat, Twenty Myths about Markets by Tom G. Palmer, and A letter from Jonathan Gullible (a play based on the original novel, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible by Ken Schoolland)
Email: adedayo.thomas@gmail.com , Phone: +234 802 223 9554,+234 805 554 9519
Mr. Bright B. Simons is a director at IMANI. Bright is a recipient of multiple Social Entrepreneurship awards from OIKOS International, the Claudio Ciuchiarelli Foundation and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
As an academic research fellow, he has been honored with Marie Curie Scholarships from European Forum for Social Research (2005-2006), and the United Kingdom Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council. Bright is a committed academic and net worker who believes firmly in the vision of IMANI and AfricanLiberty.org
His experience stems from a multidisciplinary range of interests in the media arts, political economy and social innovation. In 2008, he was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, and an Inventor-Fellow by Ashoka and TED
Senior Advisor, AfricanLiberty.org
Rejoice is a Zimbabwean Citizen and a Liberal Democrat who speaks and writes English, Zulu & Shona. He understands seTswana & KiSwahili.
Between 1979 and 1999, Rejoice studied business management and administration in Kenya. Worked as marketing manager at QV Pharmacies, was commodity broker and business consultant in Zimbabwe. Owned and operated, market research, CCTV entertainment & music promotion companies. Was columnist for The Herald, Moto, EVERYHOME & Black Beat International magazines.
Please see entire profile here.
Kofi Bentil is African Liberty’s Senior Advisor. Alongside lecturing Business Strategy at Ashesi University and Services Marketing at the University of Ghana Business School, (executive MBA program), he Manages a growing Business Strategy Consulting Firm In Finssol Limited, in Accra. Kofi has incubated several business ventures, In 2005 he was honored by the World Bank (and partners) with an award in entrepreneurship.
His professional interests range from business strategy, I.T. and project management, He holds an MBA in Marketingby the University of Ghana, Legon. Kofi writes for varied intentionalmedia.
Senior Advisor, AfricanLiberty.org
Dr Adarkwah Antwi was educated to PhD level in the broad areas of land/property economics, urban land policies and property rights institutions, Adarkwah possesses considerable experience in teaching, research and international professional consultancy in urban land economics. Professional working experience has been gained significantly in Africa ( Nigeria and Ghana ) and United Kingdom . programme on customary land tenure administration in two states in Sudan . So currently I am in Blue Nile state, my position is State Land Advisor and we are working to Currently Adarkwah is State Land Advisor to the Sudanese Government, working to get customary land owners rights recognised by government He led the implementation of a World Bank/DFID project in Ghana that sought to establish and strengthen customary land rights administration to form the backbone for an equitable, efficient and transparent land administration in Ghana . He is a professional member of the British Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and Property Investment Appraiser (MRICS). Adarkwah is also a committed academic with strong innovative, conceptual, analytical and facilitation skills.
Senior Advisor, AfricanLiberty.org
Dr. John Bugri is a land economist teaching and researching in the Department of Land Economy of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He has several years of teaching and research experience and his research interests focus issues on land tenure, land policy and land management and the implications of these for sustainable livelihoods in developing countries in the context of changing political ecology.