Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang made history on Tuesday as she was sworn in as Ghana’s first female Vice President during a momentous ceremony at the Independence Square in Accra. Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo administered the Oath of Office, with thousands in attendance to witness this groundbreaking achievement.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang brings to the office a wealth of experience, having served as a former Minister of Education and the first female Vice Chancellor of a public university, the University of Cape Coast (UCC). Her rise to the second-highest office coincides with Ghana’s recent passage of the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity Law, which advocates for gender parity in governance and society.
A distinguished academic and educator, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang began her career as a teacher and lecturer, eventually becoming a Professor of Literature at UCC. She has held various leadership roles, including Dean and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Head of Department, before becoming the university’s first female Vice Chancellor.
In 2013, she was appointed Minister of Education by then-President John Dramani Mahama, where she oversaw significant educational reforms. These included the Progressive Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy, the expansion of the School Feeding Programme, and the establishment of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
Throughout her career, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang has received numerous awards, such as the Order of the Volta (Companion), Fellowship of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Ghana Women of Excellence Award. She has also published extensively on literature, education, and women’s studies, contributing notable works like The Politics of Female Representation in African Literature and Women’s Voices in Ghanaian Literature.
A Christian and member of the Methodist Church, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang is married with three children. Her ascension to the vice presidency marks a new chapter in Ghana’s history, inspiring progress toward greater gender representation in leadership.