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Life and Times of Ghana’s Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings

Published

4 months ago

October 26, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The curtains fell on one of Ghana’s most politically savvy individuals, Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, on October 23, 2025, when she bowed to the cold hands of death, at the age of 76.

Mrs Agyeman-Rawlings was not only well tutored in the act of politics, but was also a former First Lady, married to one of Ghana’s respected presidents, John Jerry Rawlings, who died in November, 2020. Her trajectory in the political terrain gave her the superwoman status as her fierce approach and fearlessly in the field ensured that she was never a push away.

In addition, being married to Jerry Rawlings gave her added impetus and wisdom in the political circle, a situation she maximized to the advantage of the people of Ghana. Though she never the election to become president, she consistently kept the ruling on their toes with her constructive opposition as both as a party founder, and a former presidential candidate.

She was born on November 17, 1948 to the late J.O.T. Agyeman and his wife in Cape Coast, Central region of Ghana, and had her early education Ghana International School, ans proceeded to Achimota School before moving to the University of Science and Technology where she read Art, specializing in Textiles, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. At school, she was politically vibrant, becoming a student leader of her hall of residence, Africa Hall.

Nana Konadu also earned an Interior Design Diploma from the London College of Arts in 1975, as well as acquired a Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from Ghana’s Management Development and Productivity Institute in 1979, and a Certificate in Development from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in 1991.

In her quest for more knowledge, she enrolled at Johns Hopkins University Maryland, USA in 1994, obtaining a Senior Fellow Diploma in Policy Studies and Non-Profit Sector of Economic Development among others.

Prior to her further academic pursuit, Nana Konadu worked at Ghana Tourist Board Accra, Ghana in 1973.

Between 1974 – 1980, she worked at Union Trading Company in Accra, before proceeding to Nanali Africarts Accra where she worked between 1980- 1984.

It is documented that within the period under review, she set up the much talked about 31st December Women’s Movement in Accra, an NGO focused on women empowerment.

Earlier in 1977, Nana Konadu had married an Airforce Officer, Jerry John Rawlings, whom she met during her at Achimota, and with whom she weathered the storm of life and politics till he died in 2020, and they both had four children; Ezenator Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi.

During her days as Rawlings’ wife, she was First Lady of Ghana from June 4, 1979 to September 24, 1979, when Rawlings servered briefly aa a military head of state. They returned to office December 31, 1981 following a military coup, and ruled till 1992 when Rawlings was elected as a civilian president. They finally stepped aside from government on January 7, 2001 after serving two terms of four years.

She upped her game in 2016, becoming the first woman to run for President of Ghana under her own formed political party, National Democratic Party, after falling out with the National Democratic Congress. Though she was unsuccessful, she however, made a loud statement of the arrival of women in Ghana’s political frontier. Today, the vice president of Ghana is a woman.

In 2018, she published her book titled It Takes a Woman

Among the positions she held were the presidency of the 31st December Women’s Movement in 1982, elected First Vice Chairperson of the NDC in 2009 and later in 2011, she unsuccessfully challenged President John Atta Mills for the party’s presidential candidate position for election 2012, leading to the formation of her own party, the NDP. She made a second attempt at the Ghana presidency in 2020 having submitted her documents. But the her husband died in November of the same year, just a month to the election. Though she did not withdraw her participation, she however lost steam in the buildup to the election.

HER EMBRACE WITH WOMEN EMANCIPATION AND INCLUSIVENESS

As captured by Wikipedia, in a statement released by the Embassy of Ghana, the former First Lady stated: “My desire is to see the emancipation of women at every level of development to enable them to contribute and benefit from the socio-economic and political progress of the country… Women’s vital role of promoting peace in the family, the country and the world at large must be acknowledged. And to do this, they must be empowered politically to equip them adequately for the challenges of critically identifying and assessing solutions for the betterment of society.”This was the goal of 31 December Women’s Movement of which Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings was president. She described it as a “broad based development oriented Non-Governmental Organisation that aspires to achieve these objectives through the effective mobilisation of women.”

In addition, her movement – two million strong—has set up more than 870 pre-schools in Ghana and has worked actively to stir up interest for the accomplishment of child development and family planning.

Agyeman Rawlings said that she would continue to work in the women’s movement even if her husband were no longer president. Her husband led a military coup that seized power in 1981, although he was not established as head of state until the following year. The country successfully reverted to civilian rule in 1992 and held free elections. Calling the first lady “an instrumental part of the revolution in Ghana’s economy,” the Baltimore Afro-American reported that women were Ghana’s largest labor force, and they wanted to be a central part of the country’s redevelopment.

“Before December 31, 1981, they had no power of influence in law or politics–even the laws that pertained to them.” It was a grassroots movement, with women selling their land, clothes, and jewelry to get money.

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings will be remembered as prolific politician and accomplished businesswoman, whose interest rest majorly in the empowerment and emancipation of women.

May her soul rest in perfect peace!

Featured

Shiites Protest in Kano over Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Eric

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, on Sunday, took to the streets of Kano metropolis to protest the killing of the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a joint attack by the US-Israel on Saturday.

The demonstrators, who are simply known as Shiites, trooped out in their numbers at about 2.30pm in and trekked from the Fegge Central Mosque the Islamic Movement headquarters situated at Kofar Waika in the State capital.

The demonstration, adjudged peaceful, lasted for about two hours, terminating after 4.00pm.

The demonstration was followed by speeches by their scholars that spoke about the state of affairs in the Middle East and its implications on the rest of the world. A special prayer was also offered seeking Allahs intervention for the people of Iran.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abudulhi Haruna Kiyawa, resisted attempts to persuade hims for official reaction to the demonstration.

Featured

Innovation Meets Vision As Glo Partners Samsung to Unveil New Galaxy S26

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Eric

In a convergence of technology and vision, digital solutions leader Globacom has entered a partnership with global electronics giant Samsung to introduce the much-anticipated Galaxy S26 Series to the Nigerian market. It is a device conceived for a generation that lives, works and dreams in real time.

The unveiling, held at Globacom’s corporate headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, gathered an august assembly of high-net-worth customers, industry figures and members of the media. The atmosphere was not merely ceremonial; it was symbolic — a quiet affirmation that when global engineering meets indigenous connectivity, innovation finds its true signal.

As part of the partnership, Globacom has commenced an exclusive pre-order window for its subscribers. Each Galaxy S26 purchased at any Gloworld outlet nationwide is bundled with 18GB of complimentary data under the Glo Smartphone Festival Data Plans delivered as 3GB monthly for six months.

In addition, customers receive a distinguished Platinum Number eSIM, accompanied by up to 10GB of extra data monthly. It is a proposition crafted not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate statement of value.

The Galaxy S26 Series itself is a study in assured sophistication. It fuses next-generation processing power with a sleek, immersive display, enhanced camera intelligence, durable battery performance and privacy screen technology. Its Agentic AI capabilities introduce a more intuitive user experience, one that anticipates need, protects data and enhances productivity.

In essence, it is a device built not merely to function, but to empower.

Speaking at the event, Samsung’s Product Manager, Sellout Platinum, Mr. Solomon Osibeluwo, described Globacom as the first partner to host the S26 masterclass session — a testament, he noted, to the enduring strength of the relationship between both organisations. He reaffirmed Samsung’s commitment to deepening this alliance, adding that the S26 Series has been meticulously engineered to enrich the calling, browsing and overall digital experience of Nigerians.

In his address, Globacom’s Head of Gloworld, Mr Mohamed Rabie, underscored that the collaboration is anchored on delivering real and measurable value. Premium technology, he remarked, must travel with meaningful benefit. He expressed pride that Globacom stands as the first partner to offer both the masterclass engagement and immediate pre-order advantages following the device’s launch in Nigeria.

Encouraging Nigerians to experience the device firsthand at Gloworld outlets nationwide, Rabie concluded with quiet conviction: “this moment transcends the unveiling of a smartphone. It signals the unfolding of new possibilities powered by intelligence, sustained by partnership, and carried on the dependable wings of connectivity”.

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FCCPC Uncovers Patterns of Price Manipulation by Local Airlines

Published

4 days ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered patterns of price manipulation perpetrated by some local airlines during the last festive season.

The findings are contained in the interim report released on Thursday by the Commission’s department of Surveillance and Investigations, according to a statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, and made available to The Boss.

Recall that the Commission announced an industry-wide investigation earlier in January.

The forensic exercise benefitted from data collated by the Commission from airlines operating local routes in the country.

The report compares domestic airline pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels.

Preliminary analysis indicates that fares recorded during the December peak were materially higher than those observed in the post-peak period across several routes despite relative stability in critical operating variables like fuel price, government taxes and foreign exchange.

The differences observed in fares therefore appear to reflect airlines’ arbitrary pricing decisions, including yield management and capacity allocation, rather than any variation in regulatory fees.

Route-level analysis shows that higher fares coincided with periods of reduced seat availability during predictable seasonal demand peaks. On some high density routes, peak fares were clustered within relatively narrow ranges across several operators.

For instance, on certain corridors like Abuja-Port Harcourt, peak fares were several times higher than corresponding post-peak levels. On selected routes, the difference in the price of a single ticket reached approximately ₦405,000. Median fares across the sampled routes also rose markedly during the festive window when compared with post-peak benchmarks.

However, the interim report recognises that seasonal demand pressures, scheduling constraints and fleet utilisation may also affect pricing during peak travel periods.

These factors remain under consideration as part of the Commission’s ongoing review.

Commenting on the release of the interim report, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the review is part of the Commission’s statutory responsibility to promote competitive markets and safeguard consumers.

“This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. The Commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law,” Mr. Bello said.

He noted that the Commission is conducting further structural and route-level analysis before reaching any conclusions.

“It is important to emphasise that this is an interim report. Our next action will be dictated by full facts established at the end of the review exercise. Then, the Commission will decide whether any regulatory guidance, engagement or enforcement steps are necessary, strictly in accordance with the law,” he said.

The report identifies the possible relevance of Sections 59, 72, 107, 108, 124 and 127 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which respectively address the prohibition of agreements in restraint of competition, the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position, the offence of price-fixing, conspiracy to commit offences under the Act, the right to fair dealings, and the prohibition of unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bello announced that foreign airlines will come under FCCPC radar after the ongoing review of local airlines in view of widespread complaints of exploitative fares they allegedly charge Nigerians on certain routes compared to fares in neighbouring countries that are of equal distance.