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Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the former First Lady of Ghana and widow of President Jerry John Rawlings, has died at the age of 76.
The announcement was made on Thursday by local media outlets, reporting that she passed away at the Ridge Hospital in Accra after a short illness.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast, Nana Konadu became First Lady upon her husband’s assumption of power in 1981, and remained in that role until January 2001.
Her husband, Jerry Rawlings, was Ghana’s first leader under the Fourth Republic, and he died on November 12, 2020.
Her passing prompted tributes from across Ghana’s political and social spectrum.
During her tenure as First Lady, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement and later broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to form the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 2012 and in 2016 she made history as the first former First Lady to run for President of Ghana.
Her work extended beyond the ceremonial. As one observer noted, “Her advocacy for women’s political participation and socio-economic advancement left an enduring legacy.”
Following her death, mourners gathered and posted tributes on social media, reflecting on her influence and the era of Jerry Rawlings’ leadership.
Ghana’s government is expected to issue a formal statement.
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