Professional Summary
Francis Ametepey is a PhD student in Organizational Communication at the University of Cincinnati with a passion for social justice, development communication, and youth empowerment. He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Development Studies and a Certificate in Development Practice from Ohio University, where his academic work focused on amplifying marginalized voices and strengthening participatory governance frameworks.
Francis brings over a decade of experience in advocacy, strategic communication, and youth leadership across Africa and global platforms. He has served as a Communication Intern at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a Communications Assistant with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana, where he worked to promote inclusive development and amplify underrepresented community narratives. His career also includes serving as Director of Communications at Relief for Children Ghana, a nonprofit organization focused on education, child protection, and youth development.
Before joining the UN, Francis led youth engagement and policy advocacy efforts at Youth Advocates Ghana and served on the Secretariat of the African Youth SDGs Summit- the largest pan-African platform advancing youth-led development. He has also held leadership roles in the Ghana Students Accountability Network and the Eastern Regional Youth Parliament, where he championed government transparency and youth inclusion in national decision-making.
An active member of the Open Government Youth Collective and a Youth Champion with African Monitor, Francis has spearheaded citizen-led data initiatives and campaigns for accountability, gender equity, and anti-corruption. His research interests include decolonizing communication frameworks within multilateral organizations, institutional power, and communication for social change.
Francis is driven by a belief in storytelling as a transformative force for justice and continues to work at the intersection of policy, youth leadership, and global development.