Dentaa Amoateng MBE, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Grow, United, Build Africa (GUBA) Enterprise has lauded YouTuber Wode Maya for his efforts in highlighting and advertising the African continent to the international world. 

At a dinner event organised for entertainment figures in the Ghanaian creative arts industry, the Ghanaian-British businesswoman and media personality was asked why the 2022 GUBA Awards is honouring YouTuber Mode Maya. 

Dentaa’s response was: “It’s so important, the work that Wode Maya does. The fact that he has over 1 million subscribers, the power that he has in selling Africa is huge.”

“So I felt that, the whole team felt that, the board felt that, he needs that recognition because he’s done the work, he’s put in the work and a lot of people have come to Africa because of him,” she elaborated. 

For Ms Amoateng, the decision to honour the famed Ghanaian vlogger Wode Maya at the GUBA Awards to be held, this year, in Kigali, Rwanda, “was a no brainer.” 

She made these statements in an interview with YouTuber Zionfelix. 

Invited to speak on how GUBA decides on personalities to awards, Dentaa offered: “We have a board, and we open nominations, so people nominate people and then we have a group of people at university that do the research for us. They research into the people, and then they get selected, and then sent to the board.”

“The board filters through and then picks out who they think deserves the award based on the criteria that we put together,” she concluded. 

The 2022 GUBA Awards happening on Thursday, September, 29, seeks to highlight an African heroine called Ndabaga, hence the theme: ‘Ndabaga – Drumbeat of Dreamers and Legends’. Ndabaga’s story is marked by determination and bravery.

This year, 13 individuals have been nominated in various categories to be honoured and they include:

Sandra Zawedde, Chairperson of East of Eden (U) Ltd (Excellence in Infrastructure Development), Alena Analeigh McQuarter, Youngest student admitted into medical school (Young Achiever Award), Dr Sylvia Shitsama Nyamweya, Neurosurgeon (Pioneer Award for Health Excellence), Uche Ofodile, CEO of MTN-Benin (Influential Business Leader).

Others are Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of Grammy Recording Academy (Entertainment Mogul), Keith Ellison, Attorney General (Legal Excellence Award), Sina Gerard, CEO of Urwibutso Enterprises (Industrial Innovation Award), Dr. Tedros Ghabreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (Exceptional Leadership in Global Health), Amadou Gallo Fall, President of Basketball Africa League (Sporting Excellence Award).

The rest are Dr Sangu Delle, CEO of CarePoint (Entrepreneurial Spirit Award) Wode Maya, Tourism Blogger (Excellence in Tourism Award), Acha Leke, Senior Partner, McKinsey’s (Influential Business Leader) and Maryse Mbonyumutwa, Founder, Pink Mango (Manufacturing and Sustainability Award).

Endorsed by the likes of H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo (President of Ghana), H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou (The President of the ECOWAS Commission) and others, the GUBA Awards is designed to highlight the most inspirational and trailblazing individuals within Africa and its diaspora community.