Famous Ghanaian Leaders

Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian revolutionary and politician. He played an important role in the independence of the Gold Coast in 1957, after which he served as the first prime minister of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and then as the first president of Ghana from 1960 to 1966. He also played an influential role as an advocate of Pan-Africanism.

Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation and a co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. During his stint with the UN, he launched the UN Global Compact and worked to combat HIV/AIDS. 

Nana Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician and the current President of Ghana. An important politician, Akufo-Addo also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1 April 2003 to 1 July 2007. In 2017, Nana Akufo-Addo was honored by the Africa-America Institute with the prestigious National Achievement Award.

John Atta Mills was a Ghanaian legal scholar and politician. He is best known for his service as the President of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012. Previously, he had served as the Vice President of Ghana from 1997 to 2001. John Atta Mills was the recipient of many prestigious awards such as the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize.

John Dramani Mahama is a Ghanaian politician who served as the president of Ghana from July 2012 to January 2017. He was previously the vice president of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012. He is the first head of state of Ghana to have been born after Ghana's independence. He is a staunch campaigner for sustainability. 

Edward Akufo-Addo was a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He is best remembered for his service as the second President of Ghana from 31 August 1970 to 13 January 1972. He also served as the Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana from 1962 to 1964 and as the Chief Justice of Ghana from 1966 to 1970.

Rebecca Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian public figure best known as the wife of the current President Nana Akufo-Addo. Since 2017, she has been serving as the First Lady of Ghana and has received praises for her fight against malnutrition in children and adolescents. As the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has also contributed immensely to women's health across Africa.

John Dumelo is a Ghanaian actor, politician, entrepreneur, and farmer. He is best known for his portrayal of Manuel Quagraine in the 2014 Ghanaian-Nigerian film A Northern Affair, which earned him a Ghana Movie Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role. John Dumelo is also credited with launching his own clothing line called J.Melo.

John Kufuor is a Ghanaian politician best known for his service as the President of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. A lawyer and businessman, Kufuor also served as the Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008. Nicknamed the Gentle Giant, John Kufuor is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Chatham House Prize.

Samira Bawumia is a Ghanaian politician and the current Second Lady of Ghana. She is also known for her humanitarian initiatives; Bawumia is credited with founding a not-for-profit organization called the Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects, which aims at empowering the underprivileged in Ghana. In 2022, Samira Bawumia was honored with the Ghanaian Women Association of Georgia Global Humanitarian Award.

Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was a Ghanaian military head of state who ruled over Ghana from 1972 to 1978. His rule came to an end as a result of a palace coup. After he was deposed, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was executed by firing squad on 16 June 1979.

Samia Nkrumah is a Ghanaian politician best known for her association with the Convention People's Party where she served as the chairperson from September 2011 to September 2015. Samia Nkrumah is credited with co-founding a movement called Africa Must Unite.

Hilla Limann was a Ghanaian politician and diplomat. He is best remembered for his service as the President of Ghana from 1979 to 1981. In September 2019, the 40th anniversary of his presidency was commemorated with the launch of a charity organization called The Hilla Limann Foundation.

J. B. Danquah was a Ghanaian politician, lawyer, and scholar. Counted among the founding fathers of Ghana, Danquah is best remembered for his influential role in pre and post-colonial Ghana. J. B. Danquah is also credited with naming his country Ghana.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is a Ghanaian politician best known for her service as the First Lady of Ghana on two occasions; she served as the first lady in 1979 and then again from 1981 to 2001. In 2016, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings ran for the president's office, becoming the first Ghanaian woman to do so.

Charlotte Osei is a Ghanaian lawyer who served as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 2015 to 2018, becoming the first woman to do so since the independence of Ghana. Charlotte Osei has won several prestigious awards including the Volta Hall Award and Ghana Women of Courage Award.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is a Ghanaian politician and academic. She is best known for her service as the Minister for Education from 2013 to 2017. A full professor of literature, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast from 2008 to 2012.

Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie was a Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He is best remembered for his association with the New Patriotic Party where he served as the general secretary. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie was serving as the CEO of Forestry Commission of Ghana before his death on July 1, 2020.

Ghanaian lawyer, women's rights activist and politician Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful presently serves as Member of the Ghana Parliament for Ablekuma West constituency and as Minister of Communications and Digitalisation. During her professional career, Owusu-Ekuful served on different boards including as President of FIDA Ghana, Vice President of the Africa Regional FIDA International and a member of the Ghana Bar Association.

Ghanaian politician Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, popular as General Mosquito, is the incumbent General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, holding the position since 2005. He served as Assembly Member for Wenchi District Assembly, Member of Parliament for Wenchi West Constituency (Fourth Republic), Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (Crops) and as Vice President of Socialist International in absentia at Cartagena.

Ghanaian barrister and politician Hanna Tetteh served as Director-General of UNON and as Special Representative to the African Union and Head of UNOAU. She currently serves as Special Envoy of Secretary General of the UN for the Horn of Africa. Tetteh earlier remained Minister for Trade and Industry and for Foreign Affairs in cabinet of Ghana and also an MP.

Ghanaian chemical engineer and politician Alex Kofi Mensah Mould is a member of the National Democratic Congress party of Ghana. His national appointments include being inducted as CEO of the National Petroleum Authority, a position he served from April 2009 to September 2013, and then as CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. He held the latter position till January 2017.

Politician and educationist Mavis Hawa Koomson is the Member of the Ghanaian Parliament for Awutu Senya East Constituency and holds office as Minister of Special Development Initiatives. Ghanaian President Nana Akuffo-Addo announced his cabinet in May 2017 and inducted Koomson as one of the nineteen ministers of his cabinet that takes responsibility for making crucial government decisions in the country.

Ghanaian politician Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey of New Patriotic Party serves as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana and as Chairperson of ECOWAS Council of Ministers. She earlier served as Member of the Ghana Parliament for Anyaa Sowotuom and as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Minister of State at Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.

Ghanaian politician Francisca Oteng-Mensah of the New Patriotic Party contested during the 2016 Ghanaian general election and became the youngest parliamentarian of the Fourth Republic of Ghana at that time. She represents the Kwabre East Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and was nominated by the Ghanaian President Nana Akuffo-Addo as the Deputy-Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.  

Ghanaian politician and lawyer Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay, popularly known as Freddie Blay, served as a Member of Parliament in Ghana for the Ellembele constituency in the Second, Third and Fourth parliaments of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He also served as the Second Deputy Speaker and later as the First Deputy Speaker in the Fourth Parliament of Ghana.

Former Ghanaian military-officer Henry Kwami Anyidoho, who was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order for Gallantry, served in the Ghana armed forces in different capacities including as Commander of the Northern Command of the Army. He also remained part of several UN peacekeeping missions which included leading a Ghanaian contingent that was deployed to serve in UNAMIR during Rwandan genocide.

Faustina Acheampong became First Lady of the Republic of Ghana after her husband General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong assumed office as 6th Head of state of Ghana in January 1972. Faustina lost her position after General Acheampong was deposed in July 1978, in a palace coup. Faustina presently lives in the UK and is associated with charitable organisations working with Ghana.

Ghanaian politician and beauty-queen Brigitte Dzogbenuku was the winner of 1990 Miss Ghana beauty-pageant and the Fortune/Goldman Sachs Women's Leadership Award in 2008. In 2020, she became Progressive People's Party’s presidential candidate. She is associated with Graphic Communication Group Limited as a columnist and writes for Graphic Mirror. She earlier worked with SC Johnson Wax Ghana and Ashanti Goldfields Corporation.

Seasoned Ghanaian politician, gender-activist, media and communications consultant, and governance and leadership practitioner Akua Dansua is a member of National Democratic Congress. She held-office as Member of the Ghana Parliament for North Dayi for over a decade and served as Minister for Women and Children's Affairs, for Youth and Sports and for Tourism. She also served as Ambassador to Germany.