Africa-Press – Ghana. The Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants (CIAMC) has officially opened its 2026 Professional Year with a call on members to uphold copyright laws and promote innovation in administration and management consultancy practice.
The event, held at the Auditorium of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana, Legon, was on the theme: “Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence in Administration and Management Consultancy Practice.”
It brought together members of the Institute, both in-person and online, as part of its annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Dr. Samuel Mawusi Asafo, Chief Executive Officer of CIAMC, said the opening of the Professional Year had become a tradition of the Institute, serving as a platform to outline activities and programmes for members from January to December.
“It is our culture that every year we officially open the year and meet all members, both online and in person, and then present the programme for the year so that members can prepare adequately,” he said.
Dr. Asafo noted that the occasion also offered the leadership the opportunity to unveil the theme for the year and encourage members to align their professional conduct and activities with it.
He described the day as significant in the Institute’s calendar, especially as it marked 25 years of promoting excellence in administration and management consultancy in Ghana.
As part of the opening, Mr. Issah Mahama, Principal Research Officer at the Copyright Office of Ghana, delivered a presentation on “Exposition on Copyright Law.”
Dr. Asafo explained that copyright and intellectual property issues were particularly relevant to members of the Institute, whose work largely involved research, consultancy and publication.
“We are practically driven. As administrators and consultants, we deal with people and organisations. Through research, we use people’s materials, and the fruit of our research also results in publications,” he said.
He stressed the need for members to understand the legal limitations regarding the use of materials belonging to others, while also taking steps to protect their own intellectual outputs.
“We want our members not only to be consumers of other people’s work, but also to be innovative and come out with new knowledge areas. When you do so, you must know how to register and protect your work and understand the consequences involved,” he added.
Mr. Mahama, in his presentation, highlighted the importance of copyright law to professionals and explained the categories of works protected under the law, including literary works, books and music.
He said once a work was protected, the owner could commercialise it by licensing or assigning it to another party for financial gain.
“If you register your literary work and it is protected, you can either license it or assign it to somebody for commercial gains so that you receive financial reward,” he said.
Mr. Mahama cautioned professionals against exploiting the intellectual property of others without permission, noting that such actions could result in legal consequences.
He explained that a person who infringed on another’s copyrighted work could face a fine of not less than 500 penalty units and not more than 1,000 penalty units, with each penalty unit currently valued at 12 cedis. Offenders could also face a prison term of up to three years, or both a fine and imprisonment.
He therefore urged members and the public to always seek permission or obtain licences before using protected works to avoid legal disputes.
The CIAMC continues to position itself as a key professional body dedicated to advancing standards in administration and management consultancy practice in Ghana through training, research and professional regulation.
