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Friday, 18 September 2026
Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 18 September 2026
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Ghanaian press · Person

Anita Budu

Also known as: Madam Budu · Madam Anita Budu · Ms Budu · Mrs Budu

Anita Budu — Country Director of International Justice Mission, advocating for sustainable child protection financing and anti-trafficking efforts in Ghana.

2026-05-292026-09-18

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. September 2026
  2. Joy Online

    The Country Director of International Justice Mission (IJM), Anita Budu, has called on the government to develop a sustainable national financing framework for children to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and gradually reduce the country’s reliance on external donor fund

    IJM urges Ghana government to develop sustainable financing framework for children
  3. Joy Online

    The Country Director of International Justice Mission (IJM), Anita Budu, has called on the government to prioritise financing for child protection as a strategic investment in Ghana’s development.

    IJM urges Ghana government to increase and protect child protection funding
  4. August 2026
  5. Joy Online

    The commitment was made during a courtesy call on the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, by an IJM delegation led by its West Africa Director, Anita Budu.

    Gender Ministry, IJM reaffirm commitment to strengthening child protection partnership
  6. Joy Online

    Madam Anita Budu, Director of IJM’s West Africa Programme, made the call at the commemoration of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Accra.

    Strengthen partnerships to sustain fight against human trafficking – IJM
  7. July 2026
  8. Joy Online

    Director of West Africa Programs at IJM, Anita Budu, said tackling the growing threat of human trafficking requires closer coordination between law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, social welfare institutions and development partners to improve investigations, protect survivors

    IJM calls for stronger collaboration to combat human trafficking as 1,200 victims rescued in 2025
  9. Joy Online

    The partnership was announced by IJM’s Director of West Africa Programme, Anita Budu, during this year’s National Justice Conference in Accra, where she described the agreement as a direct outcome of proposals made by the NCCE at the previous conference.

    IJM, NCCE sign MoU to strengthen public education on child protection
  10. Joy Online

    The disclosure was made by IJM’s Director of West Africa Programme, Anita Budu, during this year’s National Justice Conference in Accra, held under the theme “Sustainable Funding for Child Protection Against Labour Exploitation.” According to Ms Budu, the training programme has b

    87 journalists trained on child trafficking reporting through IJM-GJA collaboration
  11. Joy Online

    Speaking under the pseudonym “Philip” to protect the survivor’s identity, IJM’s Director of West Africa Programme, Anita Budu, said the teenager endured harsh conditions while working on the lake.

    How a 16-year-old boy’s escape from forced labour on Lake Volta helped rescue six trafficked children
  12. Joy Online

    Delivering the welcome address on behalf of International Justice Mission (IJM), the Director of the organisation’s West Africa Programme, Anita Budu, said sustainable funding had become an urgent requirement rather than a future ambition.

    National Justice Conference calls for sustainable funding to combat child labour exploitation
  13. June 2026
  14. Joy Online

    In a statement delivered on behalf of the International Justice Mission, Madam Anita Budu, Director for West Africa, described the media as “first responders of truth” and underscored the importance of public awareness in preventing trafficking.

    MoGCSP launches 2026 Blue Day media campaign to tackle sports trafficking in Ghana
Society

IJM calls for sustainable domestic financing for child protection

The News

International Justice Mission's Country Director urged Ghana's government to develop a sustainable national financing framework for children to reduce reliance on external donor funding. She stressed that child protection should not depend solely on donor priorities or funding cycles, and called on Parliament to strengthen oversight of child protection budgets.

20 hours ago · Joy Online

Yesterday

  1. IJM calls for sustainable domestic financing for child protection

    International Justice Mission's Country Director urged Ghana's government to develop a sustainable national financing framework for children to reduce reliance on external donor funding. She stressed that child protection should not depend solely on donor priorities or funding cycles, and called on Parliament to strengthen oversight of child protection budgets.

    20 hours ago · Joy Online

  2. IJM urges Ghana to increase child protection funding

    The Country Director of International Justice Mission has called on the Ghana government to prioritise financing for child protection as a strategic investment, noting that Ghana's core child protection spending in 2024 was approximately GH¢7 per child per year, while UNICEF estimates the annual economic cost of child abuse in Ghana at between US$223 million and US$347 million.

    20 hours ago · Joy Online

Monday 3 August

  1. Gender Ministry, IJM renew child protection partnership commitment

    The International Justice Mission has reaffirmed its partnership with Ghana's Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to combat child trafficking, exploitation and violence. The Minister noted the collaboration has yielded results including strengthened child protection systems, joint rescue operations, and public education on child protection laws.

    3 August 2026 · Joy Online

Saturday 1 August

  1. IJM urges stronger partnerships to fight human trafficking

    The International Justice Mission has called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society, media, survivor groups and communities to sustain Ghana's anti-trafficking efforts and improve victim protection and justice. The call was made at the commemoration of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marking 20 years since the enactment of Ghana's Human Trafficking Act in 2005.

    1 August 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 30 July

  1. IJM urges institutional collaboration to combat human trafficking

    The International Justice Mission has called for stronger coordination among state institutions and civil society organisations to fight human trafficking, as more than 1,200 victims were rescued in Ghana in 2025. The director of West Africa Programs at IJM said effective efforts require close collaboration between law enforcement, prosecutors, social welfare institutions and development partners to improve investigations, protect survivors and secure convictions.

    30 July 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 7 July

  1. IJM and NCCE partner to strengthen child protection education

    International Justice Mission and the National Commission for Civic Education have signed an MoU to strengthen public education on child protection and labour exploitation across Ghana. The partnership has already implemented a capacity-building workshop for district-level NCCE officers and developed educational materials for nationwide public awareness campaigns.

    7 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. IJM trains 87 journalists on child trafficking reporting

    International Justice Mission says it has trained 87 journalists across Ghana since December 2025 under partnership with the Ghana Journalists Association to strengthen media reporting on child trafficking and labour exploitation. The training has been rolled out in the five northern regions, Volta and Oti regions, and Greater Accra.

    7 July 2026 · Joy Online

  3. 16-year-old's escape from Lake Volta forced labour rescued six trafficked children

    A 16-year-old boy's 2024 escape from forced labour on Lake Volta led to the rescue of six other trafficked children, including his younger brother, the International Justice Mission revealed. The case was presented at Ghana's National Justice Conference 2026 as an example of successful collaboration between law enforcement and social protection agencies in combating child trafficking.

    7 July 2026 · Joy Online

  4. National Justice Conference urges sustainable funding for child protection

    Stakeholders at Ghana's National Justice Conference called for sustainable financing of child protection systems, warning that inadequate funding could undermine efforts to combat child labour exploitation and trafficking. The conference, held in Accra, brought together government officials, lawmakers, civil society organisations, faith leaders, survivors and development partners to discuss strengthening long-term interventions for vulnerable children.

    7 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 4 June

  1. MoGCSP launches 2026 Blue Day campaign against sports trafficking

    Ghana's Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has launched a media campaign for the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, focused on combating human trafficking in sports. The campaign, held in Accra in May 2026 with support from the International Justice Mission, aims to raise awareness about the exploitation of young athletes who are lured by false promises of football contracts and scholarships.

    4 June 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Gender Ministry launches Blue Day campaign on sports trafficking

    Ghana's Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has launched a nationwide media campaign ahead of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (Blue Day), with the theme "Human Trafficking Can End: The Time is Now – Blow the Whistle on Sports Trafficking." The initiative targets exploitation of children and young athletes through fraudulent promises of football contracts and opportunities abroad.

    4 June 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 29 May

  1. IJM calls for increased funding to combat human trafficking

    The International Justice Mission has urged the government and stakeholders to make adequate budgetary allocations to the Human Trafficking Fund, citing the need for increased awareness, stronger collaboration, and sustainable funding as trafficking networks become increasingly sophisticated.

    29 May 2026 · Daily Guide

Anita Budu — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute