Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang  (née Sam; born 22 November 1951)   is a Ghanaian academic and politician who served as Minister for Education from February 2013 to January 2017. She is a full professor of literature. She served as the first female Vice-Chancellor of a state university in Ghana when she took over as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast. She currently serves as the Chancellor of the Women's University in Africa.

In the December 2020 Ghanaian presidential election, she partnered John Mahama as his running mate on the NDC party ticket. Mahama made an official declaration of Opoku-Agyeman as his running mate on July 6, 2020.

Early life and education
Opoku-Agyemang was born on 22 November 1951 in Cape Coast, Ghana as Jane Naana Sam. She 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 B.Ed.(Hons) in English and French at the University of Cape Coast in 1977. She earned a Diploma in Advanced Studies in French from the University of Dakar and obtained her master's degree and Doctorate degrees from York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1980 and 1986 respectively.

Academic career
Opoku-Agyemang 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 Post-Graduate Hostel, and the Founding Dean of School of Graduate Studies and Research. From 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 to 2012 she was the university's Vice Chancellor. She assumed duty on 1 October 2008, succeeding Emmanuel Addow-Obeng.

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.

On 26 October 2018, she became Chancellor of the Women's University in Africa located in Zimbabwe.

She has served on many local and international boards and committees such as the Centre for Democratic Governance, (CDD-Ghana), the editorial board of the Harriet Tubman Series on the African Diaspora (Africa World Press Inc. USA), the Africa Initiative in Canada, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons as an Eminent Citizen.

Author
Opoku-Agyemang is an author. Her focus areas includes Literature with a focus on Women from Ghana, Oral literature in Ghana and Africa, Communication Skills and Issues in the African Diaspora. As an academic she has written and published in scholarly journals and presented articles at various conferences including at the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and at the Inaugural Lecture to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2015, as Education Minister, she published and launched a five volumes collection of published folktales titled ‘Who told the most incredible story?"’

Minister for Education
Between February 2013 and January 2017 she served as the Minister of Education after she was appointed by President John Mahama to serve in that role after the National Democratic Congress had won the 2012 Ghanaian general election. One of her focus areas was empowering the girl child education and empowering women. During her tenure as Minister for Education she focused on implementing policies that covered inclusiveness in education in Ghana which birth the Inclusive Education Policy 2015.

Vice presidential campaign
Opoku-Agyemang was selected as the presidential running mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on July 6, 2020 for Ghana’s December 2020 General elections. She became the first female running mate of the two major political parties in Ghana. Her selection by the flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress was applauded by women groups and women activists as a positive sign to the Ghanaian political scene to promote gender balance and equality.

She received harsh criticisms and sometimes insults from some key members of the ruling NPP, particularly the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, who called her "ugly" and "witch" during a live radio show on Kumasi-based, Wontumi FM, which he owns. She appealed to Ghanaians to vote for change and promised to use her office as vice president to influence sustainable development and practical youth-centred policies. Her campaign message was devoid of attacks on opponents. Her intensive campaign in the coastal communities and her home region, the Central Region yielded results as the NDC won most of the constituencies they had lost in 2016. The NDC also won 9 out of the 16 regions in Ghana including the major battleground, Greater Accra.

The NDC National Executive Committee, on 7 March 2024, officially endorsed Opoku-Agyemang again as the running mate for the party's flagbearer, in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

In 2020, she became the first woman to be selected as vice presidential candidate for a major political party.

When the leader of the majority caucus of Ghana’s parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, took to the floor on 2024 March 11, the majority leader dedicated parts of his presentation to attacking Opoku-Agyemang who had just been named as the vice presidential candidate of the main opposition party, saying "Even if you look at his choice of running mate, he could not get somebody that one could say they are planning for the future. The person is over 70 years; we have no succession plan. From day one, their government will be in crisis. They went to pick the very old person who could not perform at the Education Ministry",

Professional association
Opoku-Agyemang is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, University Teachers Association of Ghana, English Studies Association, African Studies Association, United States, African Literature Association, United States and International Fulbright Scholars Association, Commonwealth of Learning amongst others.

Personal life
Opoku Agyemang is a Christian who worships as a Methodist.

She has three children: Dr. Kweku Opoku-Agyemang, Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang and Dr. Maame Adwoa Opoku-Agyemang.

Awards and recognition
Opoku-Agyemang has been honoured 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. She received the Officer of the Order of the Volta award for Academic Distinction in 2011 by President John Atta Mills. and Ghana Women of Excellence Award in the Education category due her contribution to the development and promotion of quality education in Ghana. She was acknowledged for Outstanding Performance in Advancing International Education, School for International Training, Vermont, USA on two occasions.

In 2020, she was named among the 40 Most Inspirational Female Leaders in Ghana for serving as a role model for women in Ghana and in Africa In January 2023, she was listed among the 100 most reputable Africans.