Profile of Okudzeto Ablakwa, Foreign Affairs Minister-designate

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (born 11 August 1980) is a Ghanaian politician and a Member of Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

He represents the people of North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. He was a deputy minister of state under both John Atta Mills and John Mahama.

Ablakwa has been appointed as the Foreign Affairs Minister-designate in President John Mahama’s second tenure. He was

Prior to his nomination, Ablakwa since coming in Parliament has served as a ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ablakwa also chairs the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) committee tasked by President Mahama to gather information about looted state resources and corruption-related activities.

Early life and education

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was born on 11 August 1980 and hails from Aveyime-Battor in the Volta Region of Ghana.

He is an old student of the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior Secondary School – Legon (Presec-Legon) and also served as Vice President of the scripture union.

He attended the University of Ghana, and had a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy between 2002 and 2006. At the University of Leicester, he had his Master of Arts in Communication Media, and Public Relations.

Ablakwa also holds a certificate in Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Governance, USA and a Master of Science in Defense and International Politics from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

Political career

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is a Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He served as President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) from 2005 to 2006, whilst he was a student in the University of Ghana.

He was also a member of the team that drafted his party’s youth policies in the NDC’s manifesto for the 2008 campaign. He was a member of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) a pro-masses pressure group. He is an Accredited Member (APR)of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana.

Deputy Minister of State

In his foray in national politics, he was a member of the then – candidate John Evans Atta Mills Campaign Communication Team until his appointment as Deputy Minister for Information at the age of 28, under the presidency of the late John Atta Mills.

He served on Government’s Transition Team as Acting Secretary. Ablakwa served as Deputy Minister for Education in charge of Tertiary Education under then Minister of Education Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama Government.

Deputy Minister of Information, 2009-2013.

Deputy Minister of Education, 2013-2016.

Member of Parliament, 2012 – till date.

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