Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has passed away at the age of 77.
According to reliable sources close to the family, she died in the early hours of Thursday, October 23, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra. She was born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast, in the Central Region.
At the time of filing this report, there had been no official statement from the Rawlings family or government representatives regarding her passing.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, was a towering figure in Ghana’s political and social landscape. Known for her passion for women’s empowerment and national development, she was a powerful advocate for equality and reform.
She played a pivotal role in the establishment of the 31st December Women’s Movement, which championed women’s rights, economic empowerment, and community development across Ghana. Later, she founded the National Democratic Party (NDP) after breaking away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party co-founded with her husband.
In recent months, Nana Konadu had been actively involved in several national events. She was among the dignitaries who laid wreaths at the Forecourt of the Jubilee House in memory of eight public servants who died in a tragic helicopter crash.
She also attended the Dote Yie funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, in Kumasi, where she expressed her condolences to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. She was accompanied by two of her children, Amina and Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings, during the visit.
Her husband, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving Head of State, passed away on November 12, 2020, at the age of 73.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings will be remembered for her unwavering courage, dedication to public service, and lifelong advocacy for women’s participation in governance. Her passing marks the end of an era in Ghana’s political history, but her legacy continues to inspire generations of women and leaders across the country.
