{{Short description|Ghanaian geodetic engineer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Joseph Anokye | office = Director-General of the National Communications Authority | image = Joe Anokye Picture.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Portrait of Joe Anokye | predecessor = William Tevie | president = Nana Akufo-Addo | successor = Edmund Fianko | footnotes = | signature = | signature_alt = | party = New Patriotic Party | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Ghana | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | other_party = <!--For additional political affiliations--> | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology<br />University of Maryland University College | occupation = politician, government official | profession = }}
'''Joseph Anokye''' is a Ghanaian politician and former government official. A member of the New Patriotic Party, he was the Director General of the National Communications Authority from 2017 to 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joe Anokye appointed acting Director General of NCA |url=http://www.computersgh.com/index.php?route=simple_blog/article/view&simple_blog_article_id=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042510/http://www.computersgh.com/index.php?route=simple_blog%2Farticle%2Fview&simple_blog_article_id=3 |archive-date=2017-12-01 |access-date=2017-11-22 |website=www.computersgh.com |url-status=usurped |language=en}}</ref>
== Education == Anokye holds a Bachelor of Science in Geodetic Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College, College Park, MD USA.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Mr. Joe Anokye » National Communications Authority |url=https://nca.org.gh/the-nca/management-list/mr-joe-anokye/ |access-date=2017-11-17 |website=nca.org.gh |language=en}}</ref>
== Career == Between 1994 through 1997, Anokye worked as Senior Network Engineer at the United States Postal Service (USPS) Headquarters, Washington DC. His team of network engineers designed, installed, and maintained the USPS Wide Area Network and Local Area Network.
Beginning September 1997, when he was employed at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GFSC),<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Frimpong |first=Enoch Darfah |title=How Joe Anokye helped NPP to tally election results ahead of EC - Graphic Online |language=en-GB |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/how-joe-anokye-helped-npp-to-tally-election-results-ahead-of-ec.html |location=Accra, Ghana|access-date=2017-11-17|newspaper=Daily Graphic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Washington |first=Dewayne |date= |title=NASA Remembers Columbia Crew with Dedications |page=3 |work=Goddard News |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/110433main_gnews3-04.pdf |access-date=2023-09-13}}</ref> through the end of NASA's Space Shuttle Program in July 2011, Anokye supported forty-nine (49) Space Shuttle Missions: from the 87th mission (STS-86) in September 1997, to the 135th mission (STS-135) which was last Space Shuttle mission in July 2011. His team, the NASA (Ground) Communications System (NASCOM) was the central nervous system that managed the terrestrial communications between ground stations, mission control centers, and other elements of spacecraft ground segments. Established in 1964, NASCOM also interfaced with the Deep Space Network (DSN), and provided worldwide, near real-time, transmission of commands, telemetry, voice, and television signals. NASCOM managed the NASA Global Mission Telecommunication Wide Area Network out of Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Anokye received the employee of the year award in the year 2007 from the NASA Information Technology Services (UNITeS) contract at Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville - Alabama, for outstanding technical services to the NASA Mission Telecommunications Network.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-15 |title=How NASA leaders extolled Anokye's prowess in an emotional farewell meeting |url=https://www.theghanareport.com/how-nasa-leaders-extolled-anokyes-prowess-in-an-emotional-farewell-meeting/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=The Ghana Report |language=en}}</ref> He worked at NASA GSFC until January 2016 when he returned to Ghana.
Anokye was a Cisco Technical Instructor from the year 1999 through 2016 in the Washington D.C, USA Metropolitan Area. Having attained Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer Number 6642 (CCIE #6624) in the year 2000, he taught and mentored many Telecommunications, Network, and Systems engineers. Many of his trained network engineering professionals work with Government, Security and Civilian Agencies, State and local Governments, telecommunications companies (Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, etc), Banks, financial institutions, regulatory and compliance and many more.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2021-10-27 |title=The new face of Joe Anokye, NPP's telecommunication guru leading the NCA |url=https://www.theghanareport.com/the-new-face-of-joe-anokye-npps-telecommunication-guru-leading-the-nca/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=The Ghana Report |language=en}}</ref>
In February 2016, Anokye returned to Ghana after working with NASA for nineteen (19) years.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=25 January 2017 |title=NASA's Joe Anokye appointed Acting NCA Boss - Business World Ghana |url=http://www.businessworldghana.com/nasas-joe-anokye-appointed-acting-nca-boss/ |access-date=2017-11-17 |website=www.businessworldghana.com |language=en-US}}</ref> He was appointed the Director of Technology for the New Patriotic Party (NPP)<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pulse.com.gh/news/npp-govt-akufo-addo-appoints-joe-anokye-as-new-nca-boss-id6112007.html|title=NPP Gov"t: Akufo-Addo appoints Joe Anokye as new NCA boss|last=Taylor|first=Mildred Europa|access-date=2017-11-17|language=en-US}}</ref> 2016 Presidential Elections Campaign. It was during this time that he developed the elections results management software that allowed for the quick and correct tallying of the Presidential and parliamentary results in the 2016 General Elections in Ghana.<ref name=":4" /> The systems allowed the NPP to accurately predict the outcome of the 2016 Ghanaian general elections less than eight (8) hours after polls were closed.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Akufo-Addo's Government: NASA's Joe Anokye for Communications Minister? |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Akufo-Addo-s-Government-NASA-s-Joe-Anokye-for-Communications-Minister-498395 |access-date=2017-11-17 |website=www.ghanaweb.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="The Informer KE">{{Cite news|url=http://www.theinformerke.com/2017/08/meet-the-ghanaian-it-specialist-who-will-guard-nasa-votes-from-the-clouds.html/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805080202/http://www.theinformerke.com/2017/08/meet-the-ghanaian-it-specialist-who-will-guard-nasa-votes-from-the-clouds.html/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=5 August 2017|title=Meet The Ghanaian IT Specialist Who Was To Guard NASA Votes From The 'Clouds' |date=2017-08-03|work=The Informer KE|access-date=2017-11-17|language=en-US}}</ref> The predictions were published days before the conclusion of the official tabulation by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana but was consistent with the EC's results when it was finally released.<ref name=":1" />
During the 2020 General Elections, Anokye was again appointed the Director of Technology and Digital Operations in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential and Parliamentary Campaign. As a member of the National Campaign Team, he was responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Technology unit for the 2020 campaign. He designed the infrastructure that successfully and timeously collated the presidential and parliamentary elections results of the General Elections 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tee |first=Kwaku |date=2021-01-03 |title=Revealing: Joseph Anokye, the Architect of Election results parallel collation |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/1053154/revealing-joseph-anokye-the-architect-of-electio.html |access-date=2023-09-13}}</ref>
== Director General of NCA == In January 2017, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, appointed Anokye as Director General of the National Communications Authority<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://3news.com/nana-addo-appoints-joseph-anokye-as-director-general-of-nca/|title=Nana Addo appoints Joseph Anokye as Director General of NCA - 3News|date=2017-01-24|work=3News|access-date=2017-11-17|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117175154/http://3news.com/nana-addo-appoints-joseph-anokye-as-director-general-of-nca/|archive-date=2017-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://233livenews.com/2017/07/24/mtn-deletes-3-4-million-inactive-lines-from-network/acting-director-general-of-nca-joseph-anokye/|title=Acting Director-General of NCA, Joseph Anokye |work=233 Live News|access-date=2017-11-22|language=en-US}}</ref> to replace William Tevie, whose term as Director General had ended.<ref name=":2" /> His appointment was welcomed by several players in the communication sector of Ghana, including the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Telecoms-Chamber-congratulates-Joe-Anokye-as-new-NCA-boss-504621|title=Telecoms Chamber congratulates Joe Anokye as new NCA boss|website=www.ghanaweb.com|language=en|access-date=2017-11-17}}</ref> His position as the Director General of the Authority gave him an automatic seat on the National Communications Authority Board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201707070689.html|title=Ghana: National Communications Authority Board Inaugurated in Accra|last=|first=|date=|website=}}</ref> As Director-General of the Authority, Anokye embarked on sanitising the Ghanaian airwaves by making sure media houses operate within the stipulated guidelines.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://happyghana.com/2017/10/20/26937/|title=NCA Boss Can Shutdown Radio Stations During Elections-Brogya Genfi|last=Asempah|first=Isaac|work=Happy FM|access-date=2017-11-17|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://citifmonline.com/2017/10/05/fined-stations-face-shut-down-after-30-day-notice-nca/|title=Fined stations face shut-down after 30-day notice – NCA |website=CITI FM Online |date=5 October 2017|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-17}}</ref> In September 2017, the Authority sanctioned 131 media houses, threatening to close some of them due to violations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://citifmonline.com/2017/09/29/list-of-radio-stations-closed-down-fined-by-nca/|title=List of radio stations closed down, fined by NCA |website=CITI FM Online |date=29 September 2017|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/local/news/201709/329460.php|title=NCA To Shut Down Another Popular Radio Station|last=Online|first=Peace FM|access-date=2017-11-17}}</ref> As Director General of the Authority, Anokye reports to the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.todaygh.com/minister-visits-nca/|title=Minister visits NCA - Today Newspaper|date=2017-05-10|work=Today Newspaper|access-date=2017-11-22|language=en-US}}</ref>
In November 2023, Anokye delivered three (3) lectures at the 12th R.P. Baafour Memorial Lectures at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. The lecture series, established in honour of the first Vice Chancellor of KNUST, was held under the theme, "KNUST After 70: A New Age for a Renewed Focus in an Era of Disruptive Technologies".To climax the Lectures, Anokye was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree (DSc. Honoris causa) at a special congregation on 24 November 2023,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Apinga |first=David |date=2023-11-27 |title=NCA Boss Joe Anokye Awarded Honorary Doctorate By KNUST |work=The Ghana Report |url=https://www.theghanareport.com/nca-boss-joe-anokye-awarded-honorary-doctorate-by-knust/ |access-date=2023-11-29}}</ref> in recognition of his significant contributions to Ghana's Telecommunication Industry and his presentation as the speaker of the 12th edition of the Lecture.
== See also == * National Communications Authority * List of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Alumni
== References == {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off }} {{s-bef | before = William Tevie }} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General of the National Communications Authority | years = 2017 - 2025 }} {{s-aft | after = Edmund Fianko }} {{s-end }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Anokye, Joseph}} Category:Living people Category:Ghanaian civil engineers Category:Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology alumni Category:University of Maryland Global Campus alumni Category:New Patriotic Party politicians Category:People from Ashanti Region Category:Goddard Space Flight Center people Category:NASA people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)