Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (born 11 August 1980) is a

Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who has served as the Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency in the

Volta region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi- ...

since 2013, elected on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2025 under the government of President

John Dramani Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...

. He previously served as Deputy Minister for Information and Deputy Minister for Education during the administrations of Presidents

John Atta Mills John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) was a Ghanaian politician and legal scholar who served as the 11th president of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the govern ...

and Mahama.

Early life and education

Ablakwa was born on 11 August 1980 in Aveyime-Battor in the Volta Region of Ghana. He attended the

Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC, Legon) is a secondary boarding school for boys. It is located in Legon, Accra, Ghana. It was founded in 1938, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast. The Basel missionary-t ...

, Legon (Presec-Legon), where he served as Vice President of the Scripture Union. He studied

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

and

Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in the country. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the British colony of the Gold Coast ...

, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later pursued a Master of Arts in Communication, Media and Public Relations at the

University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...

. He also holds a certificate in leadership from the

Harvard Kennedy School The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...

of Governance and a Master of Science degree in Defense and International Politics from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. Prior to entering politics, he was the Managing Director of Savvi Solutions, a communications firm.

Political career

Early involvement

While at the University of Ghana, Ablakwa served as President of the

National Union of Ghana Students NUGS, officially The National Union of Ghana Students is the largest student organization in Ghana. However the date of it foundation has been the subject of controversy. The official Facebook page suggests 1964. However Professor Anselmus Kludz ...

(NUGS) from 2005 to 2006. He was also involved in drafting youth policies for the NDC’s 2008 election manifesto and was a member of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a pressure group advocating for economic and social reforms.

Member of Parliament

Ablakwa was first elected to Parliament in 2012, winning the North Tongu seat with 90.5% of valid votes cast. He was re-elected in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 general elections. As a Member of Parliament, he has served on the Appointments Committee and is the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He also chaired the Assurances Committee and has been associated with a parliamentary initiative known as Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), launched under the

Mahama Mahama is an African given name and surname. People with this name include: Given name *Mahama Awal, Cameroonian footballer *Mahama Ayariga, Ghanaian politician *Mahama Sawadogo, Burkinabé politician *Mahama Johnson Traoré, Senegalese film direct ...

administration.

Deputy Ministerial roles

In 2009, Ablakwa was appointed Deputy Minister for Information at age 28, becoming one of the youngest ministers in Ghana's Fourth Republic. He later served as Deputy Minister for Education, focusing on tertiary education, from 2013 to 2016.

Minister for Foreign Affairs

In January 2025, Ablakwa was nominated and approved as

Minister for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...

. He was sworn into office in February 2025, succeeding

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (born 8 February 1963) is a Ghanaian politician, diplomat and lawyer who has served as the seventh secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1 April 2025. At the time of her appointment, she was Ghana's Mini ...

Public initiatives

In August 2023, Ablakwa announced plans for a public demonstration under the theme ''Enough of the Looting'', focused on issues of public accountability. In February 2024, he inaugurated a housing project for victims displaced by the Akosombo Dam spillage, an initiative led by former President John Dramani Mahama.

Personal life

Ablakwa is married to Nuhela Seidu, a lawyer and daughter of the late Mumuni Abudu Seidu. They have two children. He is a Christian. His uncle, Sam Okudzeto, is a lawyer and founder of Sena Chartered Secretaries Limited.

Philanthropy

In 2022, Ablakwa awarded a scholarship to Samelia Mekporsigbe, a pupil from Battor DA Primary School, who had won the Volta Regional USAID Learning Initiative competition.

Awards and recognition

Ablakwa has received several recognitions, including: * Outstanding Youth Leader in West Africa by the West Africa Students' Union (2009) * Special Alumnus Award by the National Union of Ghana Students (2009) * Recognition from the Mepe and Tepa Traditional Councils

Employment

* Minister for Foreign Affairs (2025–present) * Deputy Minister for Education (2013–2016) * Deputy Minister for Information (2009–2013) * Member of Parliament, North Tongu (2013–present) * Managing Director, Savvi Solutions (2007–2009) * Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ghana Christian International High School (2023)

References

External links

Official web page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okudzeto Ablakwa, Samuel Living people Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School alumni Ghanaian MPs 2013–2017 Ghanaian MPs 2017–2021 National Democratic Congress (Ghana) politicians University of Ghana alumni Alumni of the University of Leicester 1980 births Ewe people Ghanaian MPs 2021–2025 Cabinet ministers of Ghana Ministers for education of Ghana Ministers for information of Ghana Ghanaian Christians People from Volta Region Harvard Kennedy School alumni 21st-century Ghanaian politicians Ghanaian MPs 2025–2029