Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-5766 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0484 (Online) Vol.8, No.14, 2018 39 Communication and Information Management: Akan Indigenous Approach 1 Michael Kwadwo Ntiamoah Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi- Ghana Abstract This paper discusses the concept of Communication and Information Management within the Akan cultural context. It focused on the issues of indigenous communication and information management and the mechanisms adopted to disseminate information in Akan indigenous communities. The work acknowledged the various forms of communication channels in Akan communities; however, it considered a summary of the role of some adinkra symbols and other symbols found in chiefs’ palaces such as the akyeame poma (linguist’s staff), talking drums etc. The study covered areas such as the Indigenous Knowledge Values in Akan communication and information system, indigenous method of communication, agents of indigenous communication and information control methods. Participation of events, observations, and one-on-one interviews, were the main instruments used and uses descriptive method of analysis to assessed the information obtained both from the primary data and from the various literatures used as secondary source. The study particularly, responded to the potency of the values in indigenous communication and information management having a place within the development of contemporary Ghanaian leadership. Keywords: Communication, Information, Indigenous, Management, Symbols. 1.1 Introduction In these contemporary times, people are being connected to one another through the technological innovations of mass communication. The upsurge of the Internet and its ability to send information around the world with faster rate (Whatsapp, email, twitter, facebook, viber, snap chart, sms, etc) according to Ayensu (2003), is serving as a passage from one era to the other, and allowing individuals to become increasingly aware of other cultures and lifestyles. Technological developments have not only allowed for the widespread usage of the internet, but also have allowed for the dissemination of information through other channel of mass communication such as television, radio, and newspapers, in developing countries (Ayensu, 2003: 9). Cultures are said to be created through communication; that is, communication is the means of human interaction through which cultural characteristics— whether customs, rules, rituals, laws, or other patterns—are created and shared (http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/6491/Culture-and-Communication.html- Accessed on 09/06/2014). In other words, cultures are the “remnant” of social communication, which without it, it would be impossible to maintain and pass along cultural categories from one geographical location and time to another. One can say, therefore, that culture is created, shaped, transmitted, and learned through communication and vice versa. Theoretically, communication tends to be explained through many models, which posit a basic assumption of "transmission" of messages from sender to receiver. Again, it is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common medium and may include; conversation, symbols, signs, or behaviour. It is also a pattern of the culture of a people who define a particular means of sending and receiving messages across. More so, information can be defined as facts told, gathered, heard or discovered about something or somebody. Therefore, information management involves the collection and controlling of facts, discoveries, and conversations among others from one or more sources, and the distribution of such facts to individual persons, communities and sometimes across boundaries. It has been observed over the years that modern governmental machinery responsible for the control and dissemination of information in Ghana has not been the best. Upon various levels of departments of information control such as the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Communication, Information Services Department, Communication Directors at the presidency, Press Secretaries to presidents among such offices, there seems to be what I termed as “deficiency of communication and information mastery” probably, these outfits lack indigenous communication and information management values. This study also assumes that African indigenous knowledge values in communication and information control has rarely been an area of interest among contemporary public/ media relations managers hence its inclusion in a study of this sort. This paper hopes to stimulate interest, debate and further studies on the subject. 1 This paper was originally presented at the 2 nd CeCAST International Conference on Culture, Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana, from 18 th -20 th March, 2015.