Former MoE Jane Naana becomes 1st female Ghana Vice-President
Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who served as Minister for Education from February 2013 to January 2017, has become the first female Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.
Jane Naana’s achievement comes after the Electoral Commission of Ghana declared the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama who she served as his running mate winner of the December 2024 general election.
NDC’s John Dramani Mahama in this 2024 presidential election secured 4,421,828 votes representing 56.44% while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had 3,225,652 votes representing 41.20%.
The former Minister of Education’s role as running mate for John Dramani Mahama in the 2024 election marks her second appearance on a presidential ticket after partnering with the NDC flagbearer in the 2020 general election.
Between February 2013 and January 2017, she served as the Minister of Education after President John Mahama appointed her to serve in that role after the National Democratic Congress had won the 2012 general election.
During her tenure as Minister in Charge of Education, one of her focus areas was empowering the girl child education and empowering women. She also focused on implementing policies that covered inclusiveness in education which birthed the Inclusive Education Policy 2015.
In the 2015 academic year as an Education Minister, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang published and launched a five-volume collection of published folktales titled ‘Who Told the Most Incredible Story?
Profile of Jane Naane
Born on November 22, 1952, in Cape Coast, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang is a former Minister for Education appointed in 2013 by President John Mahama after the 2012 Ghanaian general election and served until January 2017 when the Nana Akuffo-Addo administration was elected to power.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, was the first female Vice-Chancellor of a state University in Ghana. She assumed duty on 1 October 2008, succeeding Emmanuel Addow-Obeng.
Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang attended Anglican Girls’ Secondary School at Koforidua and Aburi Presby Girls’ School. She then had her secondary education at the Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast from 1964 to 1971.
She completed her B.Ed.(Hons) in English and French at the University of Cape Coast in 1977 and obtained her Masters’ and Doctorate degrees from York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1980 and 1986 respectively.
She taught and worked at the University of Cape Coast, starting in 1986. She has held various academic positions including Head of the Department of English, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Warden of Adehye Hall, Valco Trust Fund Postgraduate Hostel, and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research. Since 1997, she has held the position of Academic Director of the School for International Training in the History and Cultures of the African Diaspora.
From 2008-2012 she was the University’s Vice Chancellor. In March 2007, she was one of five scholars selected to deliver presentations during the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
In October 2009, she was elected Ghana’s representative to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Ahead of the 2012 general elections, Jane Opoku Agyemang moderated the debate with Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
Between February 2013 and January 2017, she served as the Education Minister of Ghana. Opoku Agyemang has been honored with honorary degrees from the University of West Indies and Winston-Salem University. She has also received an award for Global leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
