A sombre atmosphere is expected to envelop the Black Star Square today, November 28, as thousands gather to bid farewell to Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
Preparations at the Square were completed on Thursday, November 27, with security and State protocol officers working closely to ensure a ceremony befitting her towering national legacy and royal heritage.
State officials, political leaders, diplomats, parliamentarians, traditional authorities, gender advocates, clergy and mourners from across the country are expected to attend the State Funeral, which begins at 8 a.m.
A solemn Requiem Mass held on Wednesday, November 26, at the Accra Ridge Church set the tone for the final rites. Tributes and prayers highlighted the deep imprint Nana Konadu left on national life.
Her family has expressed profound gratitude to Ghanaians for the support shown since her passing on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Nana Konadu, founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement, is remembered as a transformative force whose activism and unyielding advocacy shaped Ghana’s gender and social development agenda. Public tributes have hailed her as “a national treasure”, “an indomitable spirit”, and “a beacon of women’s empowerment”. Among them was a message from Switzerland’s Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, who praised her “determination and dedication to women’s rights”.
Beyond public service, she was known for her vibrant love for fashion, music, dance and the creative arts. Her elegance and confidence made her an enduring symbol of cultural pride.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast to J.O.T. Agyeman and Felicia Agyeman, Nana Konadu grew up in an environment shaped by discipline, ambition and leadership.
She attended Achimota School, later studying Arts with a focus on Textile Design at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where she served as Deputy SRC Secretary and later SRC Secretary. She was also active within the National Union of Ghana Students.
Her academic journey included a diploma in Interior Design from the London College of Arts; a Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from the Management Development and Productivity Institute in 1979; a Certificate in Development from GIMPA in 1991; and a Senior Fellow Diploma in Policy Studies and Non-Profit Sector Economic Development from Johns Hopkins University in 1994.
Nana Konadu worked with the Union Trading Company from 1974 to 1980 before joining Nanali Africarts, where she served until 1984. It was during this period that she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, which helped redefine women’s empowerment across Ghana.
In 1977, she married Jerry John Rawlings, then an Air Force officer who would later become Head of State and President. Their marriage was blessed with four children — Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi — and became a partnership that significantly shaped Ghana’s political history and the advancement of gender equality.
As Ghana gathers on Friday to honour her memory, the silence at Black Star Square will echo the nation’s collective respect for a woman whose influence transcended generations.
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