In January 1993, with some support from the Ghana Committee on Human and People’s Rights (GCHPR), the Ghana Journalists Association under the leadership of Kabral Blay-Amihere, the then President of the Association, and Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, Vice President put together personal funds for the renting of the first temporary premises to house the Association. It was located along the Korle Bu Mortuary Road in Accra and was christened Ghana International Press Centre (GiPC) with Mr. Peter Agbeko Jnr. as its first Director. He was succeeded by Mr. Osei Kuffour.  

The GiPC was later relocated at Kokomlemle near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in December 1995. It enjoyed sponsorship from the European Union from 1996 – 1997, under the supervision of the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

During that period, Mr. Blay-Amihere also served as the Centre’s Co-ordinator with Mr. Bright Blewu the GJA General Secretary as his deputy.  Since then, the GJA has maintained the Centre from its own internally generated resources.

The Kufuor Administration, in recognition of the importance of the work of the media, donated premises for use as a permanent Press Centre.  This was in response to an appeal from the GJA in April 2001.  A seventeen-member Building Project Committee, under the chairmanship of Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie was set up to plan and raise funds for the GiPC Project.  The 5-billion cedi press centre complex was launched on 7th March 2002, after the building designs were received from Fab-Arch Consult, Consultants for the project.

Taking a cue from Government, many organisations and individuals donated to the fund. The main contractor, China State Hualong Construction Company, Ghana Limited began construction in September 2002.

The first phase of the project – the Administrative Block was completed and inaugurated at a grand ceremony by the then President John Agyekum Kufuor on 28th March 2003.  This block contains four offices, a small archive/reference library, an internet café, a meeting room named after Kabral Blay-Amihere and a 60-seater hall for seminars/workshops and press conferences named after Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie.

In addition to his position as GJA General Secretary, Mr. Bright Blewu who was Secretary to the GiPC Building Project Committee was appointed Director of the Centre by the GJA National Council (National Executive and the Regional Chairpersons). This was to enhance better planning and coordination of activities at the Centre.   

Under the Ajoa Yeboah Administration, the second phase of the project – a restaurant was built by Kesal Katering Service in October 2005 in a build-and-operate transfer arrangement. The company operates the facility under the name “The Skuup”.

When fully completed, the GiPC complex is expected to have the following facilities:    

A 100-seater seminar hall, 120-seater outdoor (pavilion) conference hall, and additional offices to cater for other media-related organisations.  It will also have a 21-room hostel facility and a gadget/equipment storage room. The new GJA executive has expressed its intention to upgrade the plan before embarking on the next phase of the project.

Since its inception, the Press Centre has served as the headquarters of the Ghana Journalists Association. It is a social, educational and resource centre for both local and foreign journalists and also serves as a point of interaction between the media and the public. The Centre has hosted programmes such press conferences, seminars and training workshops, both local and international for journalists. The grounds of the Centre are also now available for selected social functions.

Quite a number of affiliates of the GJA use the Centre as their point of contact and hold meetings there.  They include the Editors Forum, Ghana, the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists and Journalists for Business Advocacy.

Through the GiPC, the media has played a significant role in enhancing transparency in Ghana’s electoral process.  In collaboration with the Electoral Commission (EC) the GJA made the GiPC an election resource/results relay centre for both local and foreign journalists who covered the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections.  The Centre also organised and obtained accreditation for both local and foreign journalists who covered the elections gaining a reputation as a strategic co-ordination point for the media.  Furthermore, programmes including press conferences were organised at the Centre for the National Peace Council, political party leaders, as well as the Chairman of the EC during those elections.

Under the GJA’s educational programme, a number of lectures have been held at the Centre. They include one by Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, Chief Policy Analyst to commemorate the 2013 World Press Freedom Day. There has been one in the past by now U.K.-based veteran Ghanaian Journalist Cameron Duodu, New Zealand-American journalist Peter Arnett of CNN-fame, who was awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 1996 for his work in Vietnam. Mr. Kay Whiteman, who was Editor-in-Chief of West Africa Magazine for 17 years in the late 70s and 80s, has also been hosted at the Centre.   

As part of efforts to showcase the Centre, the 11th and 12th editions of the Awards were held on the GJA’s own premises for the first time. That of the 12th edition was particularly significant as it coincided with celebrations marking Ghana’s 50th anniversary.

The Association continues to explore various avenues to improve facilities at its Press Centre. The Director of the Centre and his staff have pledged to support the new national executive  to tackle the next phase of the press centre building project which in the view of many observers, has remained a high priority for too long.