EVA LOKKO - A Brief Profile

Ms Eva Lokko is the first Satellite Communications Engineer in Ghana, first woman Broadcast Engineer in Ghana, first woman Engineer in the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the only female Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, since its inception in 1935 and the first Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Progressive People’s Party.

As Regional Programme Coordinator of the first UNDP-government cost-shared programme – Internet Initiative for Africa,she contracted and deployed ICT infrastructure and systems, and helped develop ICT policies for 10 African countries. She invented and managed the first-ever UNDP-Private Sector Cost-shared ICT Partnerships as well as the first-ever Mobile Tele-centre To-Go, which trained over 7,000 people. She was the only female member of Ghana’s first ICT policy drafting team and of Ghana’s 3-person delegation to the CTO Digital Migration Conference (UK).

Eva is a product of Wesley Girls’ High School, Cape Coast and the holder of two Masters degrees - an MSc Honoursdegree in Satellite Communications Engineering (USSR) and an MSc degree in Intelligent Management Systems (UK). She is multilingual in Ghanaian languages, English, Russian, French and Spanish and has travelled to 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and USA

Eva was one of the Engineers who installed Ghana’s first colour television infrastructure. As Director-General, she managed GBC’s transition to digital radio/TV production, satellite distribution network and digital-ready transmission, spanningHQ, 10 regional offices and 30 transmitter stations nationwide. She is one of Ghana’s few female TV Studio and Outside Broadcast (OB) Technicians.

Eva worked for 13 years in the UN Systemincluding United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM),United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). During the period, she servedUNDP’s144 Country Officesmanaging 18 Sub-Regional Information Managers, worldwide.

Eva’s impressive achievements in the area of Information and Communications Technology, Infrastructure and Systems have brought her international as well as national honours. She is also,the recipient of,among others, TVAfrica’sƆbaaMbo Award for her unique contributions to Communications Technology;two Women in LeadershipAward from the Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs and from Wesley Girls High School;UNDP’s Excellent Human Resource Management Awardand Youth Activism Awards from Curious Minds and several tertiary institutions.

Eva contributed to speeches of UN Secretaries-General including Busumuru Kofi Annan andGustav Speth; UNDP Administrators and Assistant Administrators including Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, now President of Liberia. Eva planted the UN Peace Tree with Secretary-General BoutrosBoutros-Ghali.

Eva Lokko was the President of the UN Federation of International Civil Servants Association; Chairperson- UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Staff Council; Chairperson - Youth Advisory Board of the Methodist Church Ghana, Member - UNDP Restructuring Committees;Member - Steering Committee of UNDP Global Village; Member - the Methodist Church Ghana Strategic Planning Committee; the Boards of GBC and of Metro TV; and of the MTN Customer Panel. She is a member of the National Information Technology Agency Board, the Regent University Council; and the Chairperson of the Boomers International Board, the National Committee of Girls in ICT, Greater Accra Community Development Programme and the Pumpkins Foundation.

Eva Lokko has a deep passion for the socio-economic development of Ghana and for the welfare of the under-privileged. This led her to set up Totally Youth, a not-for-profit NGO to support unemployed youth and Kayayei, into jobs and businesses and to go into politics. She is currently designing a project for "galamsey" youth. She is married since 1982, with two children.