Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Professor Ransford Gyampo, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, as Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA). Prof Gyampo replaces Kwesi Baffour Sarpong, who was appointed in December 2024, under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo Administration.
According to Ghana News Agency, Prof Gyampo was born on March 31, 1977, and is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for European Studies of the University of Ghana, with 14 years of teaching and research experience. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Ghana and Tufts University in Boston, United States. His research interests include Youth Empowerment and Development, Governance, Democracy, and Natural Resource Management.
Until recently, Prof Gyampo was a visiting scholar at the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of South Florida, United States. He currently serves as a Visiting Professor to the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. For 14 years, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Governance Unit of the Institute of Economic Affairs, leading several research projects and playing a key role in the Institute's Socio-Economic and Governance Surveys.
Prof Gyampo also served for 10 years as Coordinator of the Ghana Political Parties Programme, which facilitated discussions among political party leaders to address national issues in a non-partisan manner. He is a member of Ghana's Electoral Reforms Committee and contributed to identifying challenges in Ghana's electoral processes and proposing reforms to the Electoral Commission.
Additionally, he is a member of the Representation of the People's Amendment Act (ROPAA) Consultative Committee, tasked with advising on the implementation of the law allowing Ghanaians abroad to vote in elections. Prof Gyampo has authored over 100 research works published in internationally refereed journals, including books, book chapters, book reviews, peer-reviewed journal articles, technical reports, monographs, and policy briefs.