Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Biography: age, children, education

Who is Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang? Biography

Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is an accomplished Ghanaian academic with an impeccable record of eight (8) Masters Degrees, four (4) Ph.Ds & Honorary Doctorate, and one (1) full Professorship.

Madam Naana Opoku-Agyemang — a university professor — is the first ever female Vice-Chancellor of a state/public University in Ghana, and former minister of education.

She assumed duty as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast, Ghana, on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008, succeeding Emmanuel Addow-Obeng.

In the 1990s, Professor Jane Naana Agyemang-Opoku, who served as the host of the “Platform” program on Radio Gold 90.5 in Accra, was the first personality to interview former President Jerry John Rawlings on a private radio station in Ghana.

Ex-president and flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama on Monday, July 6th, 2020, chose Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate for the December 7th, 2020 elections.

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Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Age & Birth Date

Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang was born on Thursday, November 22nd, 1951.

The good old professor is currently 69 years of age, and will be 70 come November 22nd this year, 2021.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Children & Family

Mrs Opoku-Agyeman,g who is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has three children — two strong boys, and one girl.

All three children of Naana Opoku-Agyemang are PhD holders, and they all had their first degrees from the University of Ghana, Legon.

• Kweku Opoku-Agyemang — PhD in Economics from University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
• Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang — PhD in English literature, West Virginia University, USA.
• Adwoa Opoku-Agyemang — PhD in comparative literature, University of Toronto, Canada.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Background Life Story, Parents, Hometown, Education

Named Jane Naana Sam, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang was born to Mr Kofi Nyame and Ms Aba Atta some 68 years ago.

She was born and raised in Cape Coast where she comes from.

Parents of Madam Jane Naana, Mr Kofi Nyame and Ms Aba Atta, come from the Holy City of Komenda in Cape Coast.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Basic & University Education

She attended Anglican Girls’ Secondary School (at Koforidua) and Aburi Presby Girls’ School.

Madam Jane Naana had her secondary education at the Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast from 1964 to 1971— where she was the School Prefect in her final year.

She completed 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.

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Professor Naana 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 Dean of School of Graduate Studies and Research.

From 1997, she 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.

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, Madam Jane Opoku Agyemang moderated the debate with Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who was then host of Joy Fm’s Super Morning show.

Between February 2013 and January 2017, she served as the Education Minister of Ghana.

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On 26 October 2018, she became the 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 Eminent Citizen.

Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang Political Life, Politics

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has been a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) all this while.

She was appointed in 2013 by President John Mahama as Minister of Education after the 2012 Ghanaian general elections and served until January 2017 when the Nana Akuffo-Addo administration was elected to power.

Madam Naana Opoku-Agyemang was on Monday, July 6^th, 2020 named by former president and flag-bearer of NDC, John Dramani Maham as his presidential running mate for the December 7^th, 2020 general elections.

Professional Association

Professor Jane Naana 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, among others.

Awards & Recognition

Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has been honoured with honorary degrees from the University of West Indies and Winston-Salem University.

She received an award for Global leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Jane Naana also received the Officer of the Order of the Volta award for Academic Distinction and Ghana Women of Excellence Award in the Education category.

She was acknowledged for her Outstanding Performance in Advancing International Education, School for International Training, Vermont, USA on two occasions.

Bibliography

• “Where there is No Silence: Articulations of Resistance to Enslavement”. Revised Inaugural Lecture to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• Opoku-Agyemang, N. J., Lovejoy, P. E., Trotman, D. V. (eds), Africa and its Diasporas: History, Memory and Literary Manifestations, Trenton, New Jersey, USA: Africa World Press, 2008.
• Where There is No Silence: Articulations of Resistance to Enslavement, Accra: Page Link Publishers, 2008.
• Anquandah, J., Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., and Doormont, M. (eds), The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2007, pp. 210–224.
• “The Living Experience of the Slave Trade in Sankana and Gwollu: Literary Manifestations and Implications for Tourism”. In James Anquandah, Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Michel Doormont (eds), The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2007, pp.
• “A Fork in the Road: Ayi Kwei Armah’s Osiris Rising and Florence Ladd’s Sarah’s Psalm on the subject of homecoming” in Naana J. Opoku-Agyemang, with Paul E. Lovejoy and David V. Trotman (eds), Africa and its Diasporas: History, Memory and Literary Manifestations, Trenton, New Jersey, USA: Africa World Press, 2008.

Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Twitter

@njoagyemang or https://twitter.com/njoagyemang

Source: George Awiadem Maclean | BieGyaNation.Com