Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Ghana’s first female Vice President, was Tuesday sworn into office at a historic ceremony that took place at the Independence Square in Accra.
She was led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkono to swear the Oath of Office to discharge her duties with integrity, witnessed by thousands of people from all walks of life, who thronged the Independence Square to witness the historic moment. Prof Opoku-Agyeman comes to the office with a wide range of expertise as a former Minister of Education, first female Vice Chancellor of a public university; the University of Cape Coast (UCC), and running-mate to President John Dramani Mahama, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 elections.
Her historic feat as the first female to occupy the second most powerful office of the land comes at a time that Ghana’s Parliament had passed the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity Law assented by Former President Akufo-Addo, a legal document to demand gender parity in Ghana. Prof Opoku-Agyemang is a renowned Ghanaian academic, educator, and politician who began her career as a teacher and lecturer, rising through the ranks to become a Professor of Literature at the UCC.
She was born on November 22, 1951, in Cape Coast and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French, University of Ghana, Master of Arts degree in English, University of York, United Kingdom and Ph.D in English Literature, University of York. She became the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Head of Department, UCC before rising to the apex position as the first female Vice Chancellor.
In 2013, Prof Opoku-Agyemang was appointed Minister of Education by President John Dramani Mahama, a position she held until 2017. During her tenure, she implemented various reforms aimed at improving education in Ghana, including introduction of the Progressive Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy, Expansion of the School Feeding Programme and Establishment of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). Prior to the 2020 general election, Prof Opoku-Agyeman was chosen by President John Dramani Mahama as his running-mate and she ably supported the NDC campaign, eventhough the party lost to the New Patriotic Party’s President Akufo-Addo.
Throughout her career, Prof Opoku-Agyemang has received numerous awards and honours for her contributions to education, literature, and public service. Notable amongst them was the Order of the Volta (Companion) in 2008, Fellowship of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011 and Ghana Women of Excellence Award in 2017.
The Vice President is married with three children, a Christian and a member of the Methodist Church. She has published numerous research papers and books on literature, education, and women’s studies. Her notable publications include ‘The Politics of Female Representation in African Literature’ (2004) and ‘Women’s Voices in Ghanaian Literature’ (2010).
Source: GNA
