Ambassador Kwesi Ahwoi
Ambassador Kwesi Ahwoi was commissioned on 28th November 2014 by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa, the 6th in a row, and presented his letters of accreditation to His Excellency President Jacob Gedleythlekisa Zuma on 6th February 2015. Ambassador Ahwoi has concurrent accreditation to Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Swaziland, and the Union of the Comoros and has oversight responsibility for Ghana’s Mission in the provision of diplomatic, consular, trade, investment and diaspora services.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Ahwoi served as the 41st Minister for the Interior in the Republic of Ghana, sworn in February 2013 by His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama and worked up to August 2014. Before then he was, from February 2009 to January 2013, the 29th Minister for Food and Agriculture of Ghana, sworn in by His Excellency, President Professor John Evans Atta Mills in February 2009.
Since 1972, Mr. Ahwoi has served in various positions in Ghana that have critical bearing on the country’s socio-economic development.
- PROFESSIONAL AND WORK EXPERIENCE
- MERITORIOUS AWARDS:
- MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
- MEMBERSHIP OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES:
- PUBLICATIONS:
- ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
- BIO DATA:
- SOJOURNS BY KWESI AHWOI
| • Minister for the Interior and Cabinet Member. Ghana. | Feb 2013 - Aug 2014 |
| • Minister for Food and Agriculture and Cabinet Member, Ghana | Feb 2009 - Feb 2013 |
| • Board Member & Director, Business Development. International Business Group (IBG). Ghana. (IBG is an agricultural commodity trading, logistics, trade and investment and financial consultancy company). | Nov 2005 - Feb 2009. |
| • Commonwealth Secretariat: Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC Senior Trade Promotion Adviser. Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB)/Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry (MTTI) | Feb 2002-July 2002/ May 2003 to May 2005 |
| • Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Investment Promotion Center. Ghana | Jan 1994-Aug 2001 |
| • Director-General, Ghana Trade Fair Authority. Ghana | 1993 – 1994 |
| • Executive Secretary, Ghana Export Promotion Council. Ghana. | 1987 - 1993 |
| • Executive Member, Implementation and Monitoring Committee (IMCO).Ghana Cocoa Board | 1982 - 1986 |
| • Executive Member, National Cocoa Evacuation Committee, (NECO), COCOBOD | 1982 - 1986 |
| • Economic Research Officer, National Planning Commission. Office of the President. Ghana | 1972 - 1982 |
| • Economics and Geography Tutor, Abuakwa State College. Kibi. Ghana. | 1971 - 1972 |
He is a recipient of the following Awards of merit among others:
| - Local: | |
| • Chartered Institute of Marketing. Ghana | Marketing Talent of the Year 1990 Award |
| • Talkshop Accomplishment Award for "Outstanding Contribution To National Development. Ghana | August 31, 1999 |
| • Millennium Excellence Award-Personality Promoting Ghana Internationally. | Dec 31, 1999 |
| • Millennium Excellence Award-For Agricultural Development. | Dec 4, 2010 |
| - International: | |
| • The "Israeli Institute of Public Opinion-Leading Businessman Award - 3rd Millennium Award for outstanding Economic Cooperation | 1999/2000 |
| • International Biographical Centre's 20th Century Award for Achievement, in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of Trade and Investment. | March 2001 |
| • Times of Africa/India Achievers Forum | 2011 Excellence Award |
| • Member, Chartered Institute of Marketing. Ghana. (CIMG) |
Mr. Ahwoi has over the years served on numerous high-ranking Boards and Committees key among which are:-
| • Member, Ghana Armed Forces Council. | Feb 2013 to August 2014 |
| • Member, Ghana Police Council. | Feb 2013 to August 2014 |
| • Member Ghana Immigration Service Board. | Feb 2013 to August 2014 |
| • Chairman, Cabinet Committee on Legal, Governance and Security. | Feb 2013 to Aug 2014 |
| • Member, President’s Economic Management Team. | 2009 - Jan 2013 |
| • Vice Chair, Cabinet Committee on Finance and Economy. | 2009 - Jan 2013 |
| • Member, National Development Planning Commission. | 2009 - Jan 2013 |
| • Chairman, National Food Buffer Stock Company Ltd (NAFCO). | 2010 - 2013 |
| • Board Member, Millennium Development Authority, MCA. | 2009 - 2012 |
| • Board Chairman, CASHPRO Co Ltd. - the largest private commodity trading firm in Ghana at the time. | 1998 - 2003 |
| • Chairman, Ghana Trade Fair Company. | 1998 - 2001 |
| • Chairman of the Council, Kumasi Wood Estate Village. Ghana. | 1997 - 2001 |
| • Board Member, Ghana Free Zones Board | 1997 - 2001 |
| • Member, National Economic Management Team. Ghana. | 1997 - 2001 |
| • Board Member Ghana Investment Promotion Center. | 1994 - 2001 |
| • Member, National Planning Commission | 1994 - 2001 |
| • Board Member, Ghana Export Promotion Council | 1993 - 1994 |
| • Chairman, Ghana Furniture and Woodworks Exhibition (GIFEX). | 1989 - 1997 |
| • Board Member, Ghana Food Distribution Corporation. | 1989 - 1993 |
| • Member National Think Tank on Private Sector in National Development. | 1989 - 1991 |
| • Board Chairman, Mim Timber Co. Ltd. Ghana. (The largest foreign exchange earning State-owned wood exports company at the time). | 1988 - 1992 |
| • Executive Member, Implementation and Monitoring Committee. COCOBOD. | Ghana 1982-86 |
| • National Coordinator, National Cocoa Evacuation Committee. Ghana | 1982- 86 |
He has substantial publications on Export Trade Development and Corporate Planning to his credit.
| • University of Maryland, College Park. Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow Post Graduate Certificate in Planning and Resource Management, USA | 1985/6 |
| • Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration Post Graduate Certificates- Budgeting & Financial Management; Planning & Resource Management Accra, Ghana. | 1980/81 |
| • University of Cape Coast. Cape Coast, Ghana. B.A (ED) General– Economics/Geography/Education | 1967-1971 |
| • St. Augustine's College. Cape Coast. Ghana. GCE ("A" Level) | 1965-1967 |
| • Prempeh College, Kumasi. Ghana. GCE ("O" Level) | 1960-1965 |
Mr. Ahwoi is a Ghanaian born on 17 November 1946 at Agona Mankrong in the Agona East District of the Central Region of Ghana. He is married to Mrs. Ewura-Abena Ahwoi (nee Reynolds) an Educationist. They have seven (7) children. Mr. Ahwoi loves reading, music and dancing, scrabble, tennis, field hockey, soccer and travelling.
Well-travelled and exposed, Mr. Ahwoi has lived in 63 countries for varying durations around the globe.