Ghana gets first female vice-president in Prof Opoku-Agyemang

Barely 24 hours after the first few ballots were cast in the December 7, 2024 general elections, history has been made in Ghana. For the first time, a woman has been elected the vice-president.

While citizens are still waiting for the official announcement by the Electoral Commission, the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has called former president John Dramani Mahama, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), conceded defeat and congratulated him. He has also publicly conceded in a press briefing.

With Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang being Mahama’s running mate, she becomes the first woman to occupy the position of Vice-President, in the history of Ghana.

She was born in Cape Coast in 1951 and grew up in Komenda, Accra, and Cape Coast.

She attended Aburi Girls, Wesley Girls High School and studied at the University of Cape Coast for a bachelor’s degree in English.

She then travelled to Canada for graduate school at York University, where she earned a PhD in English literature.

After her doctoral studies, she returned to Ghana with her family and lived in Cape Coast. She taught at the University of Cape Coast for more than 30 years, where she served as the Hall Warden for Adehye Hall, Head of the Department of English, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Founding Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

She was later appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, making her the first-ever female to be appointed to the position.

She also served as Minister for Education between 2013 and 2017.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi

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