John Dramani Mahama Ghanaian politician, since July 2012 - President of Ghana Date of Birth: 29.11.1958 Country: Ghana

Biography of John Dramani Mahama

John Dramani Mahama is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from July 2012. He was born in Damongo to Emmanuel Adama Mahama, a teacher and successful farmer who was the first Member of Parliament for West Gonja and the first Regional Commissioner for the Northern Region during the presidency of Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana's First Republic.

Mahama received his education at the University of Ghana, Legon, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in History in 1981 and a diploma in Communication Studies in 1986. He also spent some time studying social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, Russia.

After completing his studies, Mahama taught briefly before joining the Japanese embassy in Accra, Ghana. He worked at the embassy from 1991 to 1995, where he developed a strong interest in Japanese culture and learned to focus on specific tasks. Mahama then transitioned to the non-governmental organization Plan International, where he worked on international relations, sponsor relations, and grant management.

In 1993, Mahama participated in a training program on international public relations offered by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He entered Ghana's Parliament for the first time in 1996 and became the Deputy Minister of Communication in April 1997. In November 1998, Mahama was appointed as the Minister of Communication, a position he held until January 2001 when the National Democratic Congress handed over power to the New Patriotic Party.

Mahama was re-elected to Parliament in 2000 and 2004, serving as the Minister of Communication from 2001 to 2004. In 2002, he was appointed the Director of Communication for the National Democratic Congress and also served as part of the international observer team for parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe.

On January 7, 2009, Mahama became the Vice President of Ghana and also worked in economic management and various committees. Following the death of President John Atta Mills on July 24, 2012, Mahama assumed the presidency, becoming the first leader of Ghana born after the country's independence.

Mahama was endorsed as the presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress in the 2012 elections. He received overwhelming support from the party, with over 99.5% of the votes in the preliminary party voting. In the main election held in December 2012, Mahama emerged victorious with 50.7% of the votes, defeating his main opponent Nana Akufo-Addo from the New Patriotic Party.

The transfer of power to a relatively young Mahama marked the beginning of a new era in Ghana's political landscape, with a focus on modern and forward-thinking leadership.