Member Spotlight: Mrs. Norkor Akua Duah

BRIEF PROFILE OF NORKOR AKUA DUAH (NEE OMABOE)
Mrs. Norkor Akua Duah is a communication specialist with over 3 decades of experience in Brand Building which is reflected in her role of creating most of Ghana’s successful brands in the Marketing communication field.


She is the Managing Director of Mullen Lowe Accra also known as Lintas Ghana Ltd. an Integrated Communications company affiliated to Mullen Lowe Worldwide and Partners, a member of the InterPublic Group of Companies, and she has an oversight role as the Group C.E.O of The Advantage Group (TAG) which comprises Mullen Lowe Accra, Prodesign Ltd, FM24 Ltd and Media Initiative.


Norkor has developed exceptional qualities in Health Communications and Behavioural Change communications. Her expertise in this arena has seen her champion award-winning Public Sector Health campaigns supported by Development Partners as well as Private Sector initiatives over the years.

From an industry perspective, Norkor is currently the Vice President/Area Director, Africa of the International Advertising Association (IAA), a Past President of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) and a founding member of the Ghana Design Network (GDN). She also serves on several boards of highly reputable companies in Ghana.


In 2009, she was awarded the “2008 CIMG Marketing Woman of the Year” for her distinguished contribution to the advertising industry, “Best Entrepreneur Advertising/ Marketing Communication of the Year” Award in 2011 at the Ghana Entrepreneur Awards.

She received the Medal For Merit Award in 2013 for being a promoter of IA programs in Africa, and being the first Vice-President Development-Africa to serve on Exco of the IAA. She also received the Advertising Association of Ghana’s (AAG) 2015 Distinguished Personality Award, including several other accolades.

She was honored with the IAA Inspire Champions award at the 2018 IAA Global Conference for her exceptional leadership and continuous effort in expanding the IAA footprint in Africa most especially through the formation of new chapters. She was in 2019 awarded for her dedication and commitment to the development of Advertising in Ghana at the 4th Ghana Women in Excellence Awards.

She was awarded in 2020 for her Outstanding Contribution to Marketing (Agency) at the 10th Women In Marketing Global Awards.In 2022, she received a Creative Impact Award from the 3Music Awards Women
Brunch for her extensive work and impact in the creative industry.

She also received a Hall of Fame Award from the Ghana CEO Excellence Awards for her leadership and achievements in the Advertising sector of Ghana.

Norkor finds great joy in giving back to society, which finds her in associations like Zonta International, of which she has held many positions. She is also a strong advocate of Girl Child education and as such is involved in promoting reading in children while supporting education amongst the less privileged i.e. The IAA OBAA Project.

Cannes Lions Introduces Creative Country of the Year Award

At the 2025 Cannes Lions festival in France, a new award was launched called the Creative Country of the Year. The Creative Country of the Year is an experiential initiative that spotlights the brilliance of a country’s creative output at the world’s biggest celebration of history-making creativity. It is an annual accolade that recognises one nation’s exceptional and enduring commitment to creativity that drives progress.

The new award’s mission is to provide a significant growth platform for the chosen country, supercharging its creative economy on an international stage. It delivers the truly global experience our delegates want from their time at Cannes Lions by providing meaningful insight into creativity and culture from different corners of the world.

Why This Matters:

Countries and governments that invest in creativity and the broader creative industries have seen measurable economic and social benefits. Here’s a look at the stats:

  • Creative industries are among the world’s fastest-growing sectors, with the creative economy currently being valued at approximately $2.3 trillion globally.
  • The creative economy has a powerful multiplier effect: $1 spent creates $2.5 of wealth for the broader economy.
  • Creative industries account for nearly 50 million jobs worldwide. UNESCO estimates that the cultural and creative industries account for 6.2% of global employment Plus, countries that invest in creativity see the impact beyond traditional economic measures, including:
  • Driving cultural evolution and social change
  • Integrating with education, healthcare, and urban development
  • Elevating storytelling and amplifying underrepresented voices
  • Contributing to innovation across multiple sectors.

Who Can Apply?

Anyone can apply on behalf of a country for Creative Country of the Year. Ideally, it is meant for government agencies, industry associations or private sector organisations who can spearhead the project and bring the activation to life, recruiting the relevant partners to accurately represent their market.

How Do You Select Who Receives the Accolade?

The Creative Country of the Year is selected through a comprehensive evaluation process that considers:

  • Creative excellence demonstrated through international recognition
  • Measurable economic growth driven by creative industries
  • Global influence through innovative ideas and approaches.

When a single country shows an exceptional and enduring commitment to creativity, it invariably drives progress and growth. This is what is being celebrated through the Creative Country of the Year accolade.

Has your country made an exceptional contribution to the creative industry? This is your moment to have it recognised on the global stage at Cannes Lions 2026.