Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta (born 7 November 1958), is a

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

ian investment banker who served as the

Minister for Finance and Economic Planning The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is the Ghanaian government official responsible for the Ministry of Finance of Ghana. The Minister for Finance since January 2025 is Cassiel Ato Forson. Kwesi Botchwey stayed in office the longest (198 ...

in the cabinet of Nana Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2024. He is co-founder of Databank Group, a Ghanaian financial services company, and was executive chairman until 2012 when he resigned. He was nominated by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Nana Akufo-Addo William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025. He previously served as Attorney General of Ghana, Attorney General from 2001 to 20 ...

, his paternal cousin, on 10 January 2017 and assumed office on 27 January 2017 as finance minister. On February 14, 2024, he was relieved of his position as the finance minister of

Early life and education

Ken Ofori-Atta was born on 7 November 1958 in Kibi, a town in the

Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...

. He is the son of the economist and politician

Jones Ofori Atta Akwasi Andrews Jones Amoako Atta Ofori Atta (7 December 1937 – 30 November 2020) was a Ghanaian economist and politician. He was a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Ghana and served as ministerial secretary (deputy mini ...

. Ofori-Atta attended A.N.T. 1 Experimental School in Accra New Town for his primary school education and subsequently

Achimota School Achimota School (Help:IPA/English, /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra Reg ...

for his O-Level and A-Level certificates received in 1976 and 1978 respectively. He got a temporary job as a mathematics teacher at

Accra Academy Accra Academy is a Single-sex education, boys' high school located at Bubuashie near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It admits both boarding and day students. Founded as a private school in 1931, it gained the status of a Government ...

in the period after his

A-level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

Achimota Achimota ( ), is a town in the Accra Metropolitan District, a district of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Achimota means "speak no name" in the Ga language. In pre-colonial Ghana, its forbidden forest was a "silent" refuge for runaway slaves ...

. In August 1980, Ofori-Atta was enrolled at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

for a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

Economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

. He graduated from Columbia in 1984 and worked at

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He studied for and received an

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

from the

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

School of Management in 1988 and went to work for the investment bank,

Salomon Brothers Salomon Brothers, Inc., was an American multinational bulge bracket investment bank headquartered in New York City. It was one of the five List of investment banks, largest investment banking enterprises in the United States and a very profitabl ...

.Kwasi Kpodo (January 8, 2017)
Ghana's new president to name investment banker as finance minister
''

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''.

Career

Finance

Ofori-Atta has business interests in Insurance, Retail Banking, Private Equity, Microfinance, Pharmaceuticals, and Real Estate. In 1996, Ofori-Atta was the first African to testify at the US Congress Ways and Means Committee to support the

African Growth and Opportunity Act The African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA (Title I, Trade and Development Act of 2000; P.L. 106–200) is a piece of legislation that was approved by the U.S. Congress in May 2000. The stated purpose of this legislation is to assist ...

. Ofori-Atta was a director of numerous companies and a member of some other boards. He was a director for Enterprise Group Ltd and Trust Bank Ltd of The

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

of which he is the chairman. He also was a director at the International Bank and is also a board member of the Acumen Fund.

Political career

Ofori-Atta was President

’s nominee to assess the health of the economy during the transition period after the

2016 elections Africa Benin Republic *2016 Beninese presidential election 6 March 2016 Cape Verde * 2016 Cape Verdean presidential election 2 October 2016 Chad * 2016 Chadian presidential election 10 April 2016 Djibouti * 2016 Djiboutian presidential ...

. In May 2017,

named Ken Ofori-Atta as part of nineteen ministers who would form his cabinet. The names of the 19 ministers were submitted to the

Parliament of Ghana The Parliament of Ghana is the unicameral legislature of Ghana. It consists of 276 members, who are elected for four-year terms in single-seat Electoral district, constituencies using a first-past-the-post voting system. History Legislature, L ...

and were announced by the Speaker of the House, Aaron Mike Oquaye. As a cabinet minister, Ken Ofori-Atta was an integral part of the inner circle of president Akufo-Addo. Ofori-Atta was elected Chair of the World Bank/IMF Development Committee at the 2018 Spring Meetings and also Chairs the Governing Board of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). In addition, he Chaired the African Caucus at the World Bank. During his time in office, Ofori-Atta oversaw Ghana's debt restructuring efforts after the country defaulted on most of its external debt in December 2022.

Parliamentary Motion of Censure

On 25 October 2022, 80 out of the 137

New Patriotic Party The New Patriotic Party (NPP; ) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right and Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian ...

(NPP) lawmakers dared President

to sack Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister citing his inability to properly handle the Ghanaian economy. Akufo-Addo sacked Ofori-Atta's deputy over corruption claims but kept Ofori-Atta at post saying that there is no basis for sacking him. In November 2022, a motion of censure was started to remove Ofori-Atta from office due to the decline of Ghana's economy, leading to the Ghanaian cedi being ranked as one of the worst in the world. The motion failed as it was not able to gain two-thirds majority to pass, securing only 136 votes out of 275 votes.

IMF Bailout

In May 2021, Ofori-Atta in a press conference indicated that

will not seek the assistance of the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...

(IMF) in managing the rising debt situation. This was on the back of the Government of Ghana's ambitious agenda of 'Ghana Beyond Aid' unveiled in 2018 by President Akufo-Addo. However, a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry indicated the Government of Ghana's engagement with the IMF for assistance in managing its debts to sustainable levels after President Akufo-Addo directed the Finance Minister in July 2022 to formally engage the International Monetary Fund for an 18th economic programme. In December 2022, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement on Ghana's $3 billion debt bailout with board approval in early 2023 as indicated in a press conference by Ofori-Atta. On 17 May 2023, the IMF Board approved a $3-billion Extended Credit Facility Arrangement for Ghana. On 10 January 2023, Ofori-Atta was appointed caretaker minister of the

Ministry of Trade and Industry A ministry of trade and industry, ministry of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...

following the resignation of

Alan John Kyerematen Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen (born 3 October 1955) is a Ghanaian politician, a corporate executive, and a former member of the New Patriotic Party. He was Ghana’s Minister for Trade and Industry from 2017 to 2023. He was also Ghana's Ambassa ...

. On 14 February 2024, he was replaced as finance minister by President Akufo-Addo in a cabinet reshuffle following criticism of his handling of the country's economic woes. He was replaced by Mohammed Amin Adam.

Fugitive from Justice

In early February 2025, Ken Ofori-Atta was added to the Special Prosecutor’s wanted list over financial misconduct charges. But on February 18, 2025, his name was removed after he pledged to return voluntarily. A

red notice An Interpol notice is an international alert circulated by Interpol to communicate information about crimes, criminals, and threats by police in a member state (or an authorised international entity) to their counterparts around the world. The in ...

was subsequently placed on him by

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...

in June 2025 when he failed to appear, reportedly on medical grounds. He was said to be undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

Other activities

* Joint World Bank-IMF Development Committee, Chair (2018–2024) *

African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB, also known as BAD in French) is a multilateral development finance institution, headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and ...

(AfDB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2017–2024) * ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2017–2024) *

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is an international financial institution which offers political risk insurance and credit enhancement guarantees. These guarantees help investors protect foreign direct investments against ...

(MIGA),

World Bank Group The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Group ...

, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2017–2024) *

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2017–2024) * African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Chair of the Board of Governors

Awards and recognition

Ofori-Atta is a Henry Crown fellow of the

Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., but also has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, its original home. Its stated miss ...

. He was adjudged as the 2nd most respected C.E.O in Ghana. Ken is a ''Donaldson Fellow'' at

in 2010 and a recipient of the John Jay Award from

in 2011. He is a co-founder of the Aspen Africa Leadership Initiative. He was honored by PricewaterhouseCoppers

twice as one of the Top 5 Most Respected CEOs in

. In May 2018, he was adjudged Best Africa Finance Minister of the year by London-based magazine ''

The Banker ''The Banker'' is an English-language monthly international financial affairs publication owned by '' The Financial Times'' and edited in London, United Kingdom. The magazine was first published in January 1926 through founding editor Brendan ...

''. He was named one of Africa's most politically connected bankers by ''

The Africa Report ''The Africa Report'' is a Paris-based English-language quarterly magazine that focuses on African politics and economics. History and profile Created in 2005 by Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in Franc ...

'' in 2021.

Personal life

Marriage and children

He is married to Professor Angela Lamensdorf Ofori-Atta, an associate professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ghana Medical School and former deputy minister for Manpower Development and Employment from 2003 to 2005 under the Kufour administration. Ofori-Atta has four children with his wife and adopted son Ofori Atta Kwaku who is an alumuni of KNUST Culture and Tourism 2023

COVID-19, health and death rumors

There were rumors that Ofori-Atta died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

after testing positive when he traveled to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

on 15 February 2021 for medical review. The Ministry of Finance in a statement denied that he had died but acknowledged that he was receiving treatment outside

due to medical complications after contracting COVID-19 in December 2020.

References

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ofori-Atta, Ken 1959 births Living people Akan people Columbia College (New York) alumni Yale School of Management alumni Alumni of Achimota School New Patriotic Party politicians Cabinet ministers of Ghana Finance ministers of Ghana People from Eastern Region (Ghana) Ken 21st-century Ghanaian politicians 21st-century Ghanaian businesspeople Ghanaian bankers Ghanaian economists