Ghana is preparing for a solemn national farewell as the family of the late former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has formally invited all Ghanaians to participate in her state funeral, scheduled for Friday, November 28, 2025, at the Independence Square in Accra.
At a press briefing in Accra, a representative of the Rawlings and Agyeman families, Oheneba Kwesi Abayie, Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s Akomfuohene outlined the arrangements for the ceremony, describing it as an opportunity for the nation to unite in honour of a woman whose influence shaped generations.
According to the family, the funeral, organised in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, will be held under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama, who earlier directed that the former First Lady be accorded full state honours in recognition of her decades-long contribution to Ghana’s political, social and democratic life.
Explaining the decision to open the funeral to the general public, the family said Nana Konadu’s life and work touched millions, making it inappropriate to restrict attendance.
“She belonged to the nation, not to a select few,” Oheneba Kwesi Abayie, Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s Akomfuohene, the family spokesperson noted, adding that individuals, groups, political parties and women’s organisations are encouraged to attend freely.
Mourners have also been requested to appear in plain black attire, as the family will not be issuing a special funeral cloth.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings passed away on October 23, 2025, at age 76, sparking widespread national grief. As the long-serving First Lady and partner of the late President Jerry John Rawlings, she was widely regarded as one of the most influential political and social figures of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
President Mahama has described her as a “towering matriarch whose courage, activism and dedication to the vulnerable will continue to inspire future generations.”
Further details on filing past, security arrangements, seating, and the sequence of the funeral service are expected to be announced in the coming days.
For now, the nation waits, preparing to gather at Independence Square to bid farewell to a woman whose voice, passion and resilience helped shape the story of modern Ghana.
