Her Excellency Hajia Alima Mahama, the departing Ambassador of Ghana to the United States (U.S.), expressed gratitude in January 2025 to Ghanaians in the U.S. for their extensive support throughout her duty tour there.
She also had concurrent supervision over Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and Belize during her duty tour. The ambassador made history in June 2021 after becoming Ghana’s first female ambassador to the US. Using her wealth of experience in politics and international development, she presented a multifaceted effort to strengthen bilateral relations between Ghana and the US in the over 3 years that she served.
Prior to her ambassadorial role, she first served as a Member of Parliament for the people of Nalerigu-Gambaga Constituency from the year 2001 to 2005; Deputy Minister, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development from May 2001 to April 2003; and Deputy Minister of State, Ministry of Trade, Industry, and President’s Special Initiatives from May 2003 to January 2005 – all respectively in Ghana.
She later served as the Minister of State for the Ministry of Women & Children’s Affairs from January 2005 to January 2009. Ambassador Mahama’s passion for gender equality and child development has been evident throughout her career.
In her brief statement, the ambassador expressed her satisfaction with her three and a half years as Ghana’s ambassador and her love for each and every encounter with the Ghanaian community in the US. The message from the departing ambassador promises to keep doing her best for her home country, Ghana.
Convening Founder and Head of Mission of the African Union’s African Diaspora Forum, the first and only diplomatic embassy in the world dealing specifically with the Diaspora issues, H.E. Dr. Erieka Bennett in a comment on Facebook congratulated the ambassador, expressing satisfaction for her years of service.
“Congratulations Ambassador, you represented Ghana well! May God Bless your next journey,” posted Dr. Bennett.
Oral Ofori who has served as the Head of the Customer Relations Office under Ambassador Mahama since December 2021, described working with her as a “fun ride filled with an incredibly amazing eye-opening high-profile peek into Washington, DC’s power and political circles of influence where she has sought to always put GHANA FIRST!” in an Instagram post.
“As you embark on the next chapter of your journey, I wish you continued success, happiness, and fulfillment. Your legacy as Ghana’s first female Ambassador to the United States will undoubtedly inspire future generations of leaders and diplomats,” he added.
H.E. Alima Mahama played a key role in passing the Domestic Violence Act and the Human Trafficking Act in Ghana. Her commitment to public service and international cooperation made her an excellent representative of Ghana in the US.
Her extensive non-governmental and international experiences include roles such as Senior Technical Advisor at Danida, Consultant OXFAM, Faculty of Salzburg Seminar in Austria and Senior Planner, and Gender and Development Coordinator Northern Region Rural Integrated Programme (NORRIP), a Ghana Government and Canadian International Development Agency initiative.
Hajia is a Barrister at Law and was called to the bar in 1982. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Development Studies with a specialization in Regional Development Planning from the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, Netherlands. Preceding that, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Law and Sociology from the University of Ghana. She is both a Pearson Fellow and a Humphrey Fellow.
Source: theafricandream.co
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
