Professor Moussa Traore currently works at the Department of English, University of Cape Coast. He does research in English Literature, World Literatures , Literary Theory, Diasporan studies and Postcolonialism. His current project is a 'book on Africa in Geopolitical and Globalization Context'. His current research interests are Writings from the Francophone Caribbean and Brazilian returnees in West Africa , and new ways of reading Frantz Fanon. His method of gathering data is Textual Analysis. Professor Traore is currently working on a book on "The Way Forward for Africa in the 21st Century"
Active
Prof. Moussa Traore
Professor - ( Senior Member ) Department of EnglishHead of Department
Department of EnglishField(s) of Specialization
Field(s) of Academic Interest
About
Dr Moussa Traoré
Teaching Philosophy
A Pedagogy of Empowerment
- I am naturally inclined towards the learner-centered approach. In my teaching in Africa,
in Thailand , at Illinois State University and at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Massachusetts, I always put the learner at the center of the classroom activities, by giving him/her a voice in the Literature, Composition and Language classes that I teach. I give a specific importance to Multiculturalism and Diversity and hands-on activities.
- The fact that my teaching philosophy is anchored on learner-centeredness does not mean that I accept that the learners do everything they desire. I make sure that learner-centeredness remains separate from anarchy or the blind realization and acceptance of all the wishes of the learner regardless of their relevance and efficiency.
- I focus my teaching on the learner’s needs and background, and at the same time, I make sure that the learners acquire some skills that they need in order to become productive members of society. My learner-centered teaching pedagogy is humane and productive.
- I put the learner at the center of my teaching in the Composition, Writing , Reading and Speaking in Literature and in Language, in my French class by making sure that the writing prompts are very clear in such a way that each student can understand them, and start work without waiting for me to give instructions, although I always take my time in the classroom to mention the main point(s) on writing prompts, or the main assignment of the day. The use of technology and is also key in my teaching. I use the language laboratory for Listening French classes and the web board for online discussion among students and between the students and me. In this case, my intervention comes as an extra support which ensures that all the students in the class are clear about the task of the day. In the literature class, I also make sure that the syllabus is very clear and easy to understand from the onset.
- I subscribe to Robert Scholes’s notion of “the strong reader,” the one who brings
her/ his personal experience into the text in order to make a meaning of the text. I locate the discussions in the Literature class within the broad framework of globalization and postmodernism and I understand these terms as Negri and Hardt define them: the erasure of the barriers between the first, the second and the third world and the implication that such a new dynamics has on notions like identity and nation. In order to familiarize my students with the vision of Negri and Hardt, I expose them to various writings and readings by selecting texts from diverse genres, and on various topics.
- I subscribe to Paulo Freire’s and bell hooks’ emancipatory revolutionary pedagogy
which takes into account the student’s background, interests and expectations, while challenging the orthodox conservative banking system of education which takes the student to be an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge by an instructor who comfortably perches in an ivory tower.
- Placing the students at the center of my teaching requires that I provide them with the
opportunity to express themselves, in the classroom, and outside the classroom. In the classroom, I make sure that we have regular discussions, at least every other week. I ask the students to turn away from their computers and adopt a conference position, and express their views to the whole class, on a discussion topic that we agreed on, previously. I encourage students to react to their classmates’ opinions either by supporting them, or opposing them (in a courteous and constructive way), or by asking questions to the one who has expressed her/his view. So the students have the opportunity to share views among themselves, while being exposed to dialectical analysis or the habit or ability to perceive different facets in the same phenomenon, in the Literature and Composition classes that I teach.
- My teaching of Literature, Language and Translation in French courses to English speaking students is guided by the principle that such students deserve special attention and need to have that conviction that their lecturer/instructor sees them as ambitious and brave students, since they have chosen to study a language which is “generally” perceived to be more difficult that English; then I always point out to them the innumerable opportunities open to them out there , once they get mastery over French, as speakers of English. As someone who has learned English as a Second Language, (since I had the first part of my education in Burkina Faso which is a French speaking country), I experienced the difficulties that the student or learner of a foreign language encounters; I therefore patiently and competently work with students in my French class till they complete their course, successfully. That predisposition has guided my pedagogy in my teaching of French in many institutions: at Lampang Hospital in Thailand where I was teaching French to nurses and doctors, at the University of Cape Coast where i teach Francophone Literature, Bilingual Translation and French Though to Ghanaian students ( English speaking students) and at the University of Winneba in Ghana where I teach Literary Theory to Masters students at the French Department. I also supervised several Masters theses there, in French and Francophone Literature.
Degrees
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Presenter
The Humanities and Peaceful Coexistence in Multicultural Contexts: Collaborative Research on Africa, The University of Douala Douala, Cameroon.
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Organizer and Presenter
West African Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (WAACLALS), Takoradi Technical University Takoradi, Ghana.
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Co-presenter
Conference in Honour of Prof. Atta Gyamfi Britwum, University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
Conference on Africa and World War Two. University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
3rd University of Cape Coast Faculty of Arts Colloquium Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
24th International Society for African Philosophy and Studies (ISAPS). Department of Classics and Philosophy, University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Discussant
Panel Discussion on Decoloniality in the Academy. Faculty of Arts, University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
the 1st West African Association of Commonwealth Language and Literature Studies (WAACLALS). University of Benin, Nigeria.
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Presenter
International Conference for the Celebration of Kofi Anyidoho’s Work in Literature. Institute of African Studies Accra, Ghana.
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Pesenter
Ecotone 2 Conference on Migration and Related Experiences Poitiers, France.
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Presenter
U6 Conference on the SDGs and Education. University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Facilitator
Faculty of Arts Lecture Series, University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
Africa and the First World War: Remembrance, Memories and Representations after Hundred Years. International Conference Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
Africana Conference 2015 Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
Researchers’ International Network Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Co-presenter
Africa Regional Research Conference in Sustainable Research Strategies Accra, Ghana.
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Co-presenter
1st Interdisciplinary Conference of University of Cape Coast, Ghana and Tai Solarin University of Education, Nigeria Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Co-presenter
2nd Annual Conference and General Meeting, Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU) Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
3rd Annual Colloquium on Language, Literature and Communication: Contexts, Practice Pedagogy Winneba, Ghana.
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Presenter
9th Inter-University Conference on Co- Existence of Languages in West Africa Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
IRECE (International Research in Early Childhood Education) Conference Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
Faculty of Arts Lecture series Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Presenter
22nd Annual SITE (Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education) International Conference Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
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Presenter
National Association of African American Studies Conference Baton Rouge Louisiana, USA.
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Presenter
13th Annual Massachusetts Community College Conference on Teaching, Learning and Student Development Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Presenter
English Studies Symposium Normal, USA.
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Presenter
the 34th Annual African Literature Association (ALA) Conference Western Illinois University, Macomb, USA.
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Presenter
Michigan State University Africanist Graduate Student Research Conference Michigan, USA.
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Presenter
Guest Speaker in English 101 class Illinois State University, Illinois, USA.
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Presenter
Conference at Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) Illinois, USA.
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Presenter
Guest Speaker in English 402 (post graduate writing class) Illinois, USA.
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Presenter
TESOL/ Great Mekong Sub-region Forum Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang-Rai, Thailand.
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Presenter
Writing Program Annual Conference Normal, USA.
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Presenter
The Graduate Students Symposium Normal, USA.
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Presenter
graduate student conference of the English Department Illinois State University, Normal, USA.
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Presenter
Faculty of Arts Colloquium University of Ghana, Legon.
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Facilitator
Contemporary Issues in Fisheries Management. Fisheries Leadership Short course for Practitioners funded by USAID/Fisheries Recovery Activity Ghana.
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Presenter
International and Regional Fisheries Institutional Frameworks and Bodies. Workshop on Destabilising Impacts of Distant Water Fishing Vessels (DWFV) in the Gulf of Guinea Yaounde, Cameroon.
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Guest Speaker
“Promoting Research Excellence for Impact on Marine Conservation in Africa”, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries Online Seminar Series University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Co-Facilitator
“Grants Proposal Writing Workshop” University for Development Studies.
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Presenter
“Performance of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience”, Country Round Table Workshop Association of African Universities (AAU), Online.
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Facilitator
“Regional Political Parties Dialogue on Fisheries: Protecting Our Fish, Securing Our Future, Live Engagement on JoyNews TV Centre for National Culture, Cape Coast.
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Presenter
Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the topic “Our Oceans: Securing Our Common Future through Transformative Research” Medical School Auditorium, University of Cape Coast.
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Presenter
Africa’s Plastic Revolution: Advancing Global Solutions for Healthy Oceans, T.D. Walter Bean Professorship Public Lecture University of Waterloo, Canada.
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Presenter
Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy. National Consultative Workshop for the Formulation of a National Blue Economy Strategy for Angola Luanda, Angola.
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Panelist
Regional Steering Committee Workshop for the World Bank West African Coastal Resilience Investment Projects (WACA ReSiP and ReiP2) Banjul, Gambia.
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Facilitator
Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change. Short-term Training Course funded by USAID Ghana.
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Co-Discussant
“Expanding the Impact of Blue Economy in Africa” (with Professor Rashid Sumaila) World Bank Headquarters, Washington.
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Facilitator
Workshop on “Winning Research and Development Grants in a Competitive World” Bolgatanga Technical University, Ghana.
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Facilitator
Workshop on “Proposal and Grants writing” University of Ghana, Ghana.
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Speaker
Study Tour on Sustainable Fisheries Management & Leadership University of Rhode Island, United States.
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Presenter
Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Ghana Case Study. Bootcamp on moving fisheries from Vulnerability to Viability Puri, Delhi, India.
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Guest Speaker
Workshop Presentation on “Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy in Africa Hohai University, China.
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Participant
6th ACE Impact Regional Workshop of the World Bank and the Association of African Universities Accra (Online).
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Panelist
Seaweed (Sargassum) Invasion on the Ghanaian Coasts, Implications for the National Economy and Management Live TV Broadcast, GTV.
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Guest Speaker
“West African Fisheries”, Workshop by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda.
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Individual Research Support Grant from DRIC, The Effects of Telenovela on Ghanaian Viewers
University of Cape Coast
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Certificate of Participation for active and invaluable participation during the conduct of an International Conference on The Humanities and Peaceful Coexistence in Multicultural Contexts
University of Douala, Cameroon
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DRIC Travel Grant
University of Cape Coast
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Technology Across the Curriculum (TAC) Grant for Design and Development of World Literature 2 Online Course
North Shore Community College, Massachusetts, USA
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Ora Bretall Scholarship for Postgraduate Students
Illinois State University, Normal, USA
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Graduate Student Research and Professional Advancement Committee Award
Illinois State University, Normal, USA
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Member
• Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment (ASLE)
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Member
• International Association for Migration Studies (MIGRINTER)
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Executive Member
• West African Association of Commonwealth Language and Literature Studies (WAACLALS)
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Member
African Studies Association (ASA)
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Member
African Literature Association (ALA)
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Member
National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE, Ghana.
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Personal Research
Traore, M. (2019). A prophetic Pan-African stand: the life, works and relevance of Frantz Fanon’s achievements
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Reseach Leader
Tabom Community (Brazilian Returnees) in Ghana
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Personal Research
Influence of Telenovela on the Ghanaian society
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Co-Editor
Africa at the crossroads: Confronting challenges and charting its own courses in the 21st century
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Research Leader
The destructive effect of plastic waste on the environment: The case of Ghana and Burkina Faso (Ecocritical Research)
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Team member, Contract for services to deliver a short course on Marine Litter under the OCPP
Cefas/UKAID
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Panel Chair, Reviewed Environmental Impact Statement of PECAN Energies for Offshore Exploration of Oil & Gas
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana, Secondi/Takoradi
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Team member, Contract for development of a short course on Marine Litter for the West Africa Region
Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID
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Team member, Contract services to conduct data collection surveys on abandoned lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in Ghana
Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID
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Lead Consultant, Contract for the Development of Fishery Courses Syllabi for Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (DoFAS), University of Liberia
IDA-V3100
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Panel Chair, Evaluation of Applications for recruitment of Environmental, Social Safeguards Officers for Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI)
World Bank funded West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme
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Lead Consultant, Consultancy to review and align national fisheries and aquaculture polices and laws with the PFRS, regional instruments and global best practices for 15 AU Member States
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Lead Consultant, Mechanisms to Facilitate the Domestication of Global Instruments and Initiatives (2022)
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Lead Consultant, Identification of Issues for SIDS, Development of Draft Strategic Positions for SIDS
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Team member, Environmental Systems Analysis of the Avu Lagoon Protected area
Calgary Zoo Foundation
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Trainer, Conduct Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in Ghana
University of Liverpool
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Team member, Pre-feasibility study for nature-based intervention for Anlo Beach community in Ghana
Valued at US$32,365.00
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Team member, Marine Plastic Pollution Study in Liberia
Conservation International
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Team member, Vulnerability, Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate - WACA -VAR Workshop
World Bank
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Consultant, Support Development of Multi-sector Resilience Investment Programme for the West Africa Coastal Area Management Program
World Bank
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Consultant, Issues and Opportunities in the Ghanaian Fishery Sector: Addressing the context, prospects and challenges
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), United Kingdom
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Consultant, Estimations on renewable energy investments in Ghana
Highland Star Group (HSG) of Companies, Geneva, Switzerland
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Team Member, Regional Mapping of Experts and Institutions in Coastal management
World Bank
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Lead Consultant, Review of the Fisheries Act 2002 (act 625) and the Development of Draft Regulations for the conduct of Fisheries Impact Assessments
Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA) and GOGIG funded by DFID/UK
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Team member, Environmental baseline survey of water bodies in the Great Consolidated Diamond Ghana Limited (GCDGL) mining concession
AERC Ltd.
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Team member, Scoping Study on the Dredging of the Whin Estuary in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
UCC Consultancy Unit/Consolidated Energy Ltd.
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Team member, Social Ecology of Anlo Beach Wetland of Ghana
Friends of the Nation/IUCN/French Global Environment Facility (GEF)
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Principal Investigator, Biodiversity Assessment of Urban Wetlands in the Western Region, Ghana with focus on Essei and Butuah Lagoons and the Whin River Estuary
USAID through Friends of the Nation