Gov't announces death of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings
The government has announced the passing of former First Lady of Ghana and founder of the December 31st December Women’s Movement, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. She was 76 years old.
Born on November 17, 1948, Mrs Rawlings passed away on Wednesday, October 23, 2025, at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital,
A government statement issued by the Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu extended condolences to her immediate family.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, having occupied the role from June 4 to September 24, 1979 under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and again from December 31, 1981 to January 6, 1993 under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), both led by her husband, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
She continued as First Lady when the fourth Republic constitution was ushered in on January 7, 1993, to January 6, 2001, as her husband completed two terms as a democratically elected President.
In 2016, Nana Konadu made history as the first woman to run for President of Ghana, contesting on the ticket of the National Democratic Party (NDP). Two years later, in 2018, she launched her maiden book, “It Takes a Woman.”
Born in Cape Coast, Central Region, Nana Konadu received her early education at Ghana International School and later Achimota School, where she met her future husband, Jerry John Rawlings.
She pursued Art and Textiles at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where she became a student leader at Africa Hall. In 1975, she obtained a diploma in Interior Design from the London College of Arts.
Her quest for academic and leadership excellence continued with a diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) in 1979, and a certificate in Development from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in 1991.
She also attended courses at Johns Hopkins University and the Institute for Policy Studies in Baltimore, USA, and earned a certificate in Philanthropy and Non-Profit Organisations through a fellows programme.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings is remembered as a trailblazer for women’s empowerment, a pillar of advocacy, and a symbol of resilience in Ghana’s political history.
