Corporate Ghana’s growing role in strengthening the education sector has received a significant boost as Dentsu Ghana partners with the University of Media, Arts and Communication’s Institute of Film and Television (UniMAC-IFT) by donating essential production equipment and refurbishing the Institute’s animation, multimedia and radio studios.
The refurbishment and donation of equipment were officially out-doored on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at UniMAC-IFT, in the presence of University Management, Heads of Department, staff, students and members of the Dentsu Ghana team.
Professor Winston Abroampa, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, expressed the university’s appreciation for the intervention, describing it as an example of how academia and industry can work together to support one another. “We are overwhelmingly elated and excited that you have come to support us, and indeed it’s a reflection of how academia and industry can actually come together to support each other. As management, we want to say a big thank you,” he said.
Prof Abroampa further appealed to corporate Ghana and the government to support the Institute, saying, “I believe this is the only film school we have in Ghana that has trained almost, I mean, close to 90 to 95 percent of the professionals we see on our screens, in movies, behind the scenes, both locally and internationally, and we cannot allow it to remain like this.”
Extending the Institute’s appreciation to Dentsu Ghana, Professor Samuel Yirenkyi, Rector of UniMAC-IFT, said the refurbishment and provision of equipment would significantly strengthen teaching and learning at the Institute. According to him, “the refurbishment of our animation studio, the upgrading of our radio studio,
the refurbishment of our multimedia laboratory and the provision of state-of-the-art computers, cameras, microphones and other essential equipment represents a major boost to our practical training capacity.”
Explaining the motivation behind the partnership, Mr. Andrew Ackah, the Chief Executive Officer of Dentsu Ghana said that, Dentsu Ghana’s search for new talent to work with led him to discover UniMAC -IFT. Describing his visit to IFT, Mr. Ackah said he did not like the state of some of the creative spaces he visited. “When I came here and saw the state of the building and the equipment, I decided to present it to management so we could make a donation to the Institute,” he added.
Mr. Ackah indicated that the intervention was a targeted investment in the future of the creative arts and students, who would eventually enter the creative industry. The donation by Dentsu Ghana also included lenses, gimbals and furniture, which Mr. Ackah described as “part of the company’s corporate responsibility and its commitment to nurturing talent for the industry”.
Bridging the gap between the classroom and the workplace was one of the key messages behind the partnership. In adding her voice to the gratitude messages, Dr. Rebecca Ohene-Asah, the Dean of the Faculty of Digital Media and Design said, “We will take good care of the equipment because we do not know when another donation will come again, although we hope for more from good-natured people. We are grateful to Dentsu Ghana Ltd for this onerous gesture and it is our prayer that their business flourishes abundantly.”
Acknowledging the team work behind the refurbishment, the Rector singled out Dr. Ramatu Mustapha Dadzie, Dean of the Faculty of Cinematic and TV Arts, for helping to facilitate the partnership, which made the donation possible. Prof. Yirenkyi went further to also acknowledge all the Planning Committee Members, Heads of Departments and Units who worked collaboratively with Denstu Ghana to see the project finalized for handing over.
Some students of UniMAC-IFT present at the ceremony expressed their appreciation toward Dentsu Ghana for their investment. Musah Awudu Maliqúe, a directing student, explaining the impact of the donation saying; “Now, if I come to edit my work there wouldn’t be a queue like earlier times. Way back, equipment used to be limited, but now with the new ones that have been added, it has increased the number of computers to make our practical works easier. So, it’s going to aid in efficiency whereby everybody can come to the labs, do their work quickly and leave.”
The handing over ceremony ended with ribbon-cuttings and tours of all the refurbished facilities. The refurbishment marks a significant upgrade to facilities used by students in their practical training, while the donated equipment is expected to provide greater opportunities for hands-on learning across the Institute’s creative disciplines.
With the call for more support from government, corporate Ghana, NGOs, alumni and industry stakeholders still open, UniMAC is ready to receive more philanthropy and donations as it works to make the only specialized University for Media, Arts and Communication education, a Centre of Excellence.
Dentsu Ghana Ltd is a major marketing, advertising, and creative communications agency located in Accra, Ghana, operating as part of the global Dentsu International network. One area of their corporate social responsibility is advancing creative education in Ghana and beyond.
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Drafted by Level 200 Broadcast Journalism students:
Grace Esenam Gbagbo and Richard Arthur