Introduction
Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey is a Ghanaian politician, educator, and local governance practitioner who currently serves as the Eastern Regional Minister. Appointed by President John Dramani Mahama in January 2025, she brought to the role a background shaped by grassroots political organising, municipal assembly leadership, and a career in education and women’s advocacy . Her tenure has focused on agricultural revitalisation, healthcare access, infrastructure improvement, and positioning the Eastern Region as an investment destination, while also navigating the region’s security and chieftaincy challenges . As one of the women appointed to regional ministerial positions in Mahama’s government, her profile reflects the intersection of local governance experience and national political engagement within Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) .
Quick Facts About Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Profession | Politician, educator, local governance practitioner |
| Current position | Eastern Regional Minister (since 2025) |
| Education | MPhil in Leadership, University of Professional Studies, Accra; BA Political Science, University of Ghana; pursuing PhD in Migration, University of Ghana |
| Political party | National Democratic Congress (NDC) |
| Key previous roles | Presiding Member, Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly; Deputy Eastern Regional Women’s Organiser, NDC; Executive Director, Africa Women’s Forum |
| Known for | First female Presiding Member of Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly; Eastern Regional Minister |
Who Is Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey?
Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey is a Ghanaian public official whose career spans local government, party politics, education, and community development. She is currently the Eastern Regional Minister, having been nominated by President Mahama in January 2025 and subsequently vetted and sworn in. Her public identity is closely tied to the NDC, where she has served in women’s organising roles at both constituency and regional levels. Before her ministerial appointment, she was best known in the Eastern Region as a two-term Presiding Member of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly and as the first woman to hold that position. She is also an educator and the founder or director of several educational and NGO initiatives.
Early Life and Background
Reliable publicly available information about Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey’s date of birth, hometown, and family background is limited. What is documented is her deep roots in the Eastern Region, particularly in the Yilo Krobo area, where she built her political and professional career. Her public service trajectory began at the local level, suggesting a sustained connection to the communities she now oversees as Regional Minister.
Education and Professional Training
Awatey holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Leadership from the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Ghana. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Migration at the University of Ghana, indicating an ongoing academic interest in population movements and their implications for governance and development. Her educational background combines political science foundations with advanced leadership training and migration studies, equipping her for both administrative leadership and policy analysis.
Career Beginnings and Local Governance
Awatey’s entry into public life came through local governance. She served as an Assembly Member in the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly before becoming its Presiding Member, a role in which she was the first woman to serve. This position placed her at the centre of municipal decision-making, budget oversight, and community representation, providing practical experience in the mechanics of Ghanaian local government.
In parallel, she built a career in education and advocacy. She serves as Director of LARIT Schools in Somanya and as Executive Director of the Africa Women’s Forum, a non-governmental organisation focused on women’s empowerment. Within the NDC, she rose through the party’s women’s wing, serving as Constituency Women’s Organiser for Yilo Krobo and later as Deputy Eastern Regional Women’s Organiser.
Appointment as Eastern Regional Minister
In January 2025, President John Dramani Mahama nominated Awatey as Eastern Regional Minister-designate as part of his first batch of regional ministerial appointments. Her nomination was welcomed by the Eastern Regional Women’s Wing of the NDC and the Krobo Bloc, who cited her experience in governance, education, and community development as qualifications for the role. She was one of three women among the ten nominees in that initial batch. Following vetting and approval, she assumed office and met with the Regional Coordinating Council staff in Koforidua in February 2025, outlining priorities that included education, healthcare, rural telephony, responsible mining, water and sanitation, security, youth employment, and road infrastructure.
Major Priorities and Initiatives
Agriculture and Poultry Development
Awatey has been actively involved in reviving the Eastern Region’s poultry sector. In March 2026, she encouraged beneficiaries of the ‘Nkoko Nkitinkitin’ initiative in Koforidua to take ownership of their poultry farming enterprises, emphasising biosecurity, veterinary practices, and business expansion. She also called on traditional leaders and financial institutions to support the programme’s success. In her end-of-year remarks in December 2025, she noted that agriculture directly supported more than 75 per cent of households in the region and urged Municipal and District Assemblies to channel resources into crops, livestock, and agro-processing.
Healthcare Access
The Minister has prioritised reducing the distance residents must travel for medical care. In May 2026, during the commissioning of a CHPS compound at Oda Community 6 and an expanded labour ward at Oda Government Hospital, she stated that the government planned to construct more health centres and upgrade existing facilities across the region’s districts. She has also identified completing stalled CHPS compounds, ensuring essential medicine supply, and supporting mental health interventions in post-mining and disaster-prone communities as health sector priorities.
Education and Girls’ Empowerment
At the commissioning of a modern Girls’ Senior High School at Kwahu-Aduamoa in October 2026, Awatey emphasised that education remains “the most critical investment in our national development architecture.” She highlighted the government’s focus on STEM, TVET, entrepreneurship, and digital skills to prepare Ghanaian girls for the global economy, and called on the Kwahu Traditional Council, the District Assembly, and residents to take ownership of the institution.
Economic Development and Investment Promotion
In July 2026, Awatey launched the maiden Eastern Expo 2026, scheduled for September 26 to October 3, 2026, under the theme “Unlocking Opportunities for Sustainable Trade, Tourism and Investment.” The Expo, spearheaded by the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, aims to position the region as an investment hub in line with the government’s 24-hour economy policy. She highlighted the region’s agricultural base, commercial centres, and tourist attractions including Boti Falls, Aburi Botanical Gardens, Kwahu Mountains, and the Akosombo Dam, while acknowledging that MSMEs face challenges in access to finance, markets, technology, and infrastructure.
Governance and Financial Accountability
Awatey has stressed compliance with public financial regulations. At the Regional Composite Budget Hearing in October 2025, she directed Municipal and District Assemblies to process all financial transactions through the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and warned that commitments outside approved budgets would attract sanctions under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). She has also introduced the Smart Workplace digital system to the region, with implementation expected in 2026 .
Security and Traditional Leadership Engagement
Awatey has engaged closely with traditional authorities on security and environmental issues. In February 2025, she called on chiefs to use their authority to curb illegal mining, emphasising its devastating effects on forests, water bodies, and the region’s future. She has also assured the Kwahu Traditional Area of the Regional Security Council’s commitment to resolving chieftaincy disputes, and has identified youth unemployment and chieftaincy disputes as security threats requiring enhanced intelligence gathering and swift response. Her vision statement, delivered at a management retreat in August 2025, committed her leadership to transforming the Eastern Region into “a thriving hub of economic growth and inclusive development” with attention to agriculture, industrialisation, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey
Who is Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey?
She is the Eastern Regional Minister of Ghana, appointed by President John Dramani Mahama in 2025. She is a politician, educator, and former Presiding Member of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly.
What position does Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey hold?
She is the Eastern Regional Minister of Ghana, having assumed office in early 2025.
What did Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey study?
She holds an MPhil in Leadership from UPSA and a BA in Political Science from the University of Ghana. She is pursuing a PhD in Migration at the University of Ghana.
What is Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey known for?
She is known for being the first female Presiding Member of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, her role as Eastern Regional Minister, and her advocacy for women’s empowerment and local development.
Which political party does Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey belong to?
She is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), where she has served as Deputy Eastern Regional Women’s Organiser.
What are Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey’s priorities as Regional Minister?
Her priorities include agricultural development, healthcare access, education (particularly for girls), infrastructure, security, and economic investment promotion through initiatives like the Eastern Expo 2026 .
Is Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey married?
Reliable publicly available information about her marital status is limited.
Source: The Accra Daily Mail
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
