Meet Ghana's first female vice president
Ghana has made history by electing its first female vice president in the country’s just-ended parliamentary and presidential elections.
Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has won the admiration of many even beyond the borders of Ghana with her historic feat after her presidential candidate John Mahama emerged winner in the just-ended elections.
Naana Jane was the running mate of President-elect John Mahama who represented the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Her win is iconic particularly because she represents women in Ghanaian politics at one of the highest levels of power.
But her win comes after many years of hard work in respective fields including academics.
Here is a brief profile of Naana Jane:
The 73-year-old was born on November 22, 1951, in Cape Coast, Ghana, she has spent years in education, breaking barriers and earning respect for her work.
Her career in politics began as the first female minister of education under the John Mahama administration between 2013 and 2017.
During this period she worked hard to improve Ghana’s education system. In 2020, she was selected by John Mahama as his running mate for the general elections and she run again in the same position for the 2024 elections.
Naana’s higher education journey began at the University of Cape Coast, where she earned a Bachelor of Education in English and French in 1977. She went on to complete a Master’s and a Doctorate in Canada at York University in 1980 and 1986, respectively.
Her academic career at the University of Cape Coast started in 1986 holding key positions including the first female Vice-Chancellor position from 2008 to 2012.
Naana’s contributions extend beyond academia.
In 2007, she was invited to the United Nations in New York to deliver a lecture marking 200 years since the abolition of slavery. Two years later, she was chosen as Ghana's representative on UNESCO’s Executive Board.
