A student of the UPSA Law School, Ms Emmanuella Amenu, has secured second place in the 9th GIABA-ECOWAS Inter-University Speech Competition. The contest, held on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, in Freetown, brought together students representing five English-speaking ECOWAS Member States.
Ms Amenu, who serves as President of the UPSA Law Students’ Union, represented Ghana against contestants from The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Her performance earned Ghana a place on the regional podium and reinforced the strong tradition of advocacy, intellectual rigour and leadership cultivated by the UPSA Law School.
The competition was organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s Financial Intelligence Unit. Participants delivered speeches on the theme, “The Impact of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing on the Economies of West African States.”
The annual competition forms part of GIABA’s efforts to deepen young people’s understanding of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks. It also provides a platform for university students to examine the effects of financial crime on governance, economic development and regional stability, while proposing practical responses to these challenges.
GIABA Director-General, Mr Edwin W. Harris Jr, underscored the importance of involving young people in the fight against illicit financial activities, noting their future roles as policymakers, legal practitioners, financial professionals and advocates for regional security.
Ms Amenu’s achievement reflects her dedication, eloquence and command of critical regional issues. It also demonstrates the UPSA Law School’s commitment to preparing students to engage confidently with complex legal, economic and governance challenges beyond the classroom.
The University congratulates Ms Emmanuella Amenu on this outstanding accomplishment and for representing UPSA and Ghana with distinction on the regional stage.
