About GFRA
Learn about our mission, vision, values, and the dedicated team driving our impact
GFRA is a dynamic, impact-driven non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to fostering sustainable development and strengthening community resilience. We have a particular passion for coastal communities and marine environments, with an intent to extend proven solutions from the coast to other resource-dependent communities.
Our approach emphasizes building local capacity, promoting inclusive decision-making processes, and driving innovation for long-term, community-led growth. GFRA remains steadfast in its commitment to building resilient coastal communities while continuously adapting to emerging global challenges.
Our Mission
To create transformative change through sustainable growth and inclusive development. We provide technical, policy, and extension support to a broad range of stakeholders, including coastal communities, emerging civil society groups, traditional authorities, government institutions, and the private sector.
By promoting integrated and inclusive management of coastal and marine ecosystems across the West African Region, we address critical issues such as resource management, climate resilience, community livelihoods—while staying responsive to evolving global and local challenges.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where thriving coastal and marine ecosystems support resilient and empowered communities. We envision a future in which people and nature coexist in balance—where individuals have the opportunity, knowledge, and agency to prosper while safeguarding the ocean’s health, biodiversity, and productivity for generations to come.
Through informed, inclusive decision-making, we seek to ensure that the needs of the environment and the needs of people are mutually reinforced, securing sustainable livelihoods and ecological integrity in a changing world. GFRA remains committed to this vision by continuously learning, innovating, and adapting to the dynamic challenges facing coastal communities and marine ecosystems. Our vision transcends Ghana’s borders, driving collective action for coastal and marine resilience across the West African region.
Our Story
The journey that shaped our organization and mission
GFRA originated in Ghana as a US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded food security initiative aimed at preventing the collapse of the small pelagic fishery sub-sector while setting the stage for its ecological recovery. Our primary goal was to enhance the socio-economic well-being of artisanal fisherfolk and their communities by aligning fishing capacity with ecosystem sustainability.
Through collaborative efforts, we improved household incomes, supported coastal communities to diversify their livelihoods and address social challenges such as Gender Based Violence and Child Labor/Trafficking, increased the quality and value of fish products, promoted transparency and co-management in fisheries governance, strengthened stakeholder collaboration, and advanced the integration of scientific research into policy and decision-making.
Following the February 2025 termination of GFRA’s funding from USAID, the project’s leadership took a decisive step to sustain its mission. Recognizing the ongoing need for its work, GFRA formally transitioned into an independent Ghanian-registered organization. This strategic move not only preserved our impactful initiatives but also allowed us to broaden our focus, incorporating new areas of strategic relevance to promote inclusive and sustainable development.
The new structure allows us to deepen our work in fisheries while incorporating priority areas such as biodiversity conservation, youth empowerment, and climate action. Today, GFRA remains committed to building resilient coastal communities and beyond, while continuously adapting to emerging global challenges.
Our Team
Meet the dedicated professionals driving our mission forward
Socrates Segbor
Country Director, GFRA
Socrates is a fisheries policy and management expert with over 15 years of experience in Ghana's fisheries sector. He has a proven track record of building strong relationships with government, civil society, and academia to advance decision-making on sustainable fisheries measures
Socrates Segbor
Country Director, GFRA
Baviina Safia Musah
Director, Gender-Inclusive Development
Baviina is a development practitioner with 17 years of professional experience in rights-based programming. She has worked extensively on project formulation, inclusive programming, and organizational development for state and non-state actors.
Baviina Safia Musah
Director, Gender-Inclusive Development
Emmanuel Kwarteng
Director, Post-Harvest Systems
Emmanuel is a seasoned fish post-harvest and market systems development expert with over a decade of experience in fisheries project design, quality assurance, private sector engagement, and international trade.
Emmanuel Kwarteng
Director, Post-Harvest Systems
Maxwell Amoah
Director, Finance & Operations
Maxwell brings over a decade of leadership in finance and operations within the international development sector. His experience spans financial management, strategic planning, and operational oversight of donor-funded programs.
Maxwell Amoah
Director, Finance & Operations
Atobrah Papa Yaw
Fisheries Enforcement Expert
Atobrah is a seasoned fisheries governance and enforcement expert with over 30 years of experience in policy design, legal reform, and monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS).
Atobrah Papa Yaw
Fisheries Enforcement Expert
Board of Directors
Meet our Board Of Directors
Board Overview
The GFRA Board of Directors provides strategic oversight, governance, and accountability to ensure the organization delivers on its mission to advance sustainable fisheries management, marine conservation, and community resilience in Ghana. The Board reflects a multidisciplinary composition spanning fisheries governance, public sector oversight, gender and social inclusion, international development, and environmental conservation.
The Board is chaired by Dr. Jessica Aku Nkansah, with Mr. Daniel Yaw Owusu serving as Deputy Chair, providing leadership across regulatory, fisheries, and governance domains. The Country Director serves as Secretary to the Board in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity, providing administrative and coordination support.
Board Members Profiles
Jessica Nkansah (PhD)
Board Chair
Jessica Aku Nkansah is a distinguished scientist and seasoned leader with over two decades of dedicated service in food safety, standardization, and regulatory oversight. Currently serving as the Acting Director of Research and Innovation at the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Mrs. Nkansah demonstrates exceptional administrative and technical leadership across multiple inspection domains, including import, product, fish, and enforcement activities. Her oversight ensures the enforcement of national and international standards, safeguarding public health and maintaining Ghana's reputation in global trade.
Jessica Nkansah (PhD)
Board Chair
Daniel Yaw Owusu
Deputy Board Chair
Daniel Yaw Owusu is a respected fisheries practitioner and stakeholder representative with extensive experience in artisanal fisheries governance, advocacy, and community-based resource management in Ghana. As a senior member of the National Fishers Association of Ghana (NAFAG), he has played a key role in representing the interests of small-scale fishers at local, national, and regional levels, engaging constructively with government institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations.
Daniel Yaw Owusu
Deputy Board Chair
Alex Kwame Donyinah
Board Member
Alex Kwame Donyinah is a seasoned Energy Specialist and Project Management Professional with nearly two decades of experience advancing sustainable energy access across Sub-Saharan Africa. With a career spanning renewable energy market development, clean cooking systems promotion, sector policy advisory, and multisector project leadership, he has worked extensively in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali to support governments and private-sector actors in driving large-scale energy transitions.
Alex Kwame Donyinah
Board Member
Lawrence Ndaago Ayagiba
Board Member
Lawrence Ndaago Ayagiba is a distinguished governance, audit, and public accountability expert with over three decades of professional experience in performance auditing, value-for-money assessments, and public sector oversight. He is a former Deputy Auditor-General of Ghana (2020–2025), where he led the Performance and Special Audit Department and oversaw the delivery of high-impact performance audits, including award-winning reports recognized by AFROSAI-E and the Swedish National Audit Office.
Lawrence Ndaago Ayagiba
Board Member
Susan Aryeetey
Board Member
Susan Aryeetey is a seasoned gender and human rights specialist with over 20 years of experience advancing access to justice, gender-based violence prevention, and the rights of women and marginalized groups in Ghana and beyond. She is the Ag. Executive Director of FIDA-Ghana, where she provides strategic leadership for national programmes focused on legal empowerment, survivor-centered justice, and institutional reform.
Susan Aryeetey
Board Member
Heather April D’Agnes
Board Member
Heather April D’Agnes is a senior international development and conservation leader with over two decades of experience designing, managing, and financing large-scale programmes at the intersection of marine conservation, fisheries governance, livelihoods, and human well-being. She currently serves as Regional Director for the Southeast Asia Pacific Region at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), where she provides strategic oversight for multi-country conservation portfolios and partnerships with governments, donors, and civil society.
Heather April D’Agnes
Board Member
Moses Anim
Board Member
Moses Anim is a seasoned public servant and business executive with over three decades of experience spanning parliamentary leadership, ministerial service, and private sector management. He served as Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (2021–2024), where he collaborated closely with government agencies, fishing industry actors, and development partners to advance sustainable fisheries management, aquaculture development, and marine resource conservation.
Moses Anim
Board Member
Governance Note
The GFRA Board operates as a non-executive body, providing strategic direction, fiduciary oversight, and policy guidance to the organization’s leadership. Its composition reflects a deliberate balance of technical expertise, public sector experience, stakeholder representation, and international perspective, ensuring robust governance and accountability in the delivery of GFRA’s programmes.