In that capacity, he served as Secretary to the Technical Working (TWG) on child labour in the cocoa sector and the Joint Working Group (JWG) of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire on child labour in the cocoa sector; led Ghana’s engagement with the United States Government and the chocolate industry on efforts to eliminate the practice; and coordinated the development of a Facilitators Manual on best practices which has become a blueprint for efforts to eliminate child labour on cocoa farms.

At GMA, where he was Project Manager, Asenso-Boakye managed several of the company’s flagship assignments and projects, including Ghana@50 fireworks display at the Independence Square, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 African Cup of Nations, CNN Africa Journalist of the Year Awards, and Africa Union Summit Media Center. He also served as Lead Consultant for GMA’s event consulting work for the Government of Guinea for the Guinea@50 celebrations.

As a Project Analyst at Delta Acquisitions and Development, LLC, Delaware, USA, Asenso-Boakye was responsible for monitoring and evaluating the company’s real estate acquisitions and development and oversaw the construction of 50 homes/duplexes in Dover, Delaware. In this role, Asenso-Boakye was exposed to and had the first-hand experience in the planning and management of housing projects.

Asenso-Boakye also served as a Policy and Research Associate in the Office of State Representative, Michael C. Murphy and to the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus (MLBC) – Michigan House of Representatives, USA, where his work focused on policy and legislative issues affecting the interests of African American and minority communities including the provision of decent and affordable housing. He drafted an Issues Book to serve as policy guidance for the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus. In 2005, in recognition of his exemplary service as a Legislative Staffer, he received a Special Tribute from the Michigan House of Representatives.

Asenso-Boakye also previously worked as a Planning Officer at GFZB, where, as project manager for the Tema Export Processing Zone (TEPZ), he managed a $50m World Bank financed-project for the provision of off-site infrastructure at the TEPZ, including a road network, water storage, drainage and sewerage system. This experience gave Asenso-Boakye an overview of the kind of works and infrastructure needed for development.

For his National Service, Asenso-Boakye was a Research Analyst at GIPC, where he prepared product profiles for potential investors and also served as GIPC’s focal person for an Investment Survey on Ghana conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank. Through this experience, Asenso-Boakye obtained deep insights regarding attracting investment in the critical areas of the economy particularly the role that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays in the development of the country.

As Deputy Chief of Staff and Political Assistant to the President, Asenso-Boakye assisted the Chief of Staff at the Presidency in providing oversight of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) in making sure that their plans and programmes are in sync with that of the Government.

He was also responsible for the management of the President’s engagement with key stakeholders and political players across the country and ensured that the President visited every nook and cranny of the country, to inspect projects that were having an impact on the lives of Ghanaians. Through these visits, it became abundantly evident that after health, education and jobs policies, the next major policy that will have an impact on the lives of Ghanaians, both in the cities and rural areas, is the provision of affordable housing. Having had firsthand experience of the needs of the Ghanaian people for decent housing coupled with his vast experience over the years in investment and management of housing projects among other things, Asenso-Boakye willingly accepted his new challenge and looks forward to assisting the President in leaving a lasting legacy in the works and housing sector of the economy.

Francis Asenso-Boakye is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, with a B.Sc. degree in Development Planning. He obtained his Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from Michigan State University, Michigan, USA, as a Rotary Scholar.

He is a former student activist and the founding president of the Tertiary Students Confederacy of the NPP (TESCON).

Francis Asenso-Boakye is married with three children.

He was the Finance Officer from January 2001 – March 2007 at the National Governance Programme (NGP) and the Management Accountant at the Millennium Challenge Account of the Ghana Programme from 2007 -2008.

He was appointed as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Bawku Municipal Assembly from January 2008 to February 2009.  For his efforts and resilience to work, he served as the Lead Consultant and Fund Manager for the Agriculture Credit Programme, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC, USA) Ghana Programme (MIDA) from February 2009 to February 2021.

At the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), he was also the Financial and Business Consultant. He served as the Financial Consultant/Facilitator for Radbdah Africa Build Ltd from 2011-2016 and later, became the Financial Consultant at the Cegelec Oil and Gas (multinational oil/gas company of Dubai, UAE and Paris, France) from 2013 – 2014. Hon. Abdulai Abanga founded the Savannah Microfinance Ltd (Bank of Ghana Regulated Finance Institution) in 2014.

Hon. Abanga was the Chief Executive Officer/Founder of the Banse Tropical Foods Ltd and Local Country Agent, Business and Financial Advisor, VDL Buses and Coaches, Belgium as well as Local Country Agent, Business and Financial Advisor at the Viabuild, a Belgium Construction Company in 2019. He was the Financial Consultant and Business Investment Facilitator in 2017.

He has participated in several conferences and capacity building programmes organised by the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Accra in (2001), Danida Fellowship Centre, Cowi Copenhagen Denmark in (2003), World Bank Ghana (2013) and Chartered Diploma in Oil and Gas Accounting also in (2013) at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana. He is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG).