Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Shani Alhassan Shaibu, has called for the provision of information vans to enhance the effective delivery of government policies and programs in the region and across the country, particularly in rural communities. He made this request during a courtesy call on Friday, February 16, 2024, by the newly appointed Acting Director of Information Services Department, Winifred Nafisa Mahama (Ph.D.), and her entourage at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council. During the meeting, Hon. Shaibu highlighted the lack of information vans at the district level, stating, “The government of Ghana is doing a lot, but it often goes unnoticed, especially in rural areas.” He urged Dr. Nafisa to collaborate closely with the newly appointed Minister for Information, Ms. Fatimatu Abubakari, to revitalize the Information Services Department (ISD) and ensure its effectiveness in disseminating information to the public. He emphasized the crucial role of the ISD in informing the public about government initiatives and gathering feedback for policy development and implementation. Addressing the Public Relations Coordinating Division (PRCD) of the ISD, Hon. Shaibu called upon Public Relations Officers (PROs) to act as the government’s mouthpiece by maintaining close communication with their ministers and heads of departments and agencies to obtain accurate information for public dissemination. He stressed that PROs and the ISD, as a whole, serve as the voice of the government, reaching people across the country and beyond. He encouraged ministers and heads of departments to collaborate openly with their PROs to ensure that the public is aware of the government’s achievements. He commended the ISD for organizing training workshops for its staff and encouraged further training to enhance their capacity for effective communication of government initiatives. He concluded by congratulating Dr. Nafisa on her appointment as Acting Director of the Information Services Department. Dr. Nafisa expressed gratitude for the warm reception and explained that her visit was to participate in a training program for some ISD Field Officers, organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Information Services Department. She elaborated that the program aimed to equip selected Regional, Municipal and District Information Officers for a public education campaign in the Northern Region on a key government project called the Single Window Citizen’s Engagement Services (SWECS) under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. She commended Hon. Shaibu for his understanding of the ISD’s work and his support in enhancing its operations in the Northern Region. Mr. David Owusu-Amoah, Technical Advisor on ISD Transformation at the Ministry of Information, confirmed that plans are underway to acquire more modern vans to facilitate information dissemination to the public. He added that the ISD is currently implementing a transformation agenda to equip PROs with the necessary technological skills to effectively project government initiatives. He explained that PROs, in collaboration with Regional Information Officers, will be expected to develop strategies tailored to their specific regions and projects. Madam Ethel Cudjoe Amissah, Head of the PRCD, took the opportunity to thank the Regional Minister for his support in providing PROs in the region with essential tools like digital cameras, laptops, and internet access, as well as facilitating their attendance at workshops in Accra. Other ISD officials present at the meeting included Mr. David Quaye (Head of Regional Coordinating Division), Mr. Nelson Akartey (Head of Public Education Campaigns Division), Ms. Dorothy Siilo Tagoe (Principal Information Officer, Regional Coordinating Division), Mr. Bernard Blaboe (Special Assistant to the Technical Advisor), and Mr. George Basoah (Principal Information Officer, Access to Information Division).