John Mahama earns esteemed 2024 Africa Advancement Award for outstanding leadership

John Dramani Mahama, the former President of Ghana, has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Africa Advancement Award for Exemplary Leadership.

The award was bestowed upon him at the African Heritage Awards (AHA) 2024 event, which took place in Lagos, Nigeria, on Saturday, April 13.

Mahama was recognized for his significant contributions to Ghana's democracy and his peaceful transfer of power to his successor after losing the 2016 general elections. The award highlights his commitment to democratic principles and his dedication to fostering stability and progress within the nation.

The Chairman of Heritage Times, and the organizers of the awards, Mr. Moses Siasia, emphasized the importance of celebrating and acknowledging outstanding achievements by Africans, both within the continent and in the diaspora.

The event aimed to honor individuals who have excelled in various fields, including business, politics, philanthropy, entertainment, arts, culture, science, technology, and social innovation.

Among the nominees for the award were prominent figures such as African-American billionaire philanthropist Robert F. Smith, HE Dr. George Weah, former President of Liberia, HE Mama Rachael Ruto, First Lady of Kenya & Founder of Mama Doing Good Organization, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Other notable individuals recognized at the event included Victoire Tomegah Dogbe, Prime Minister of Togo, and Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Managing Director of the Rose of Sharon Group and Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil Limited.

Expressing his gratitude upon receiving the award, John Dramani Mahama dedicated the honor to the team that supported him during his tenure as President. He reflected on the challenges faced by the country during his leadership, including power and economic crises, and highlighted the importance of innovative thinking in navigating through difficult times.

Mahama expressed his inspiration from receiving the award, noting that not everyone has the opportunity to serve as President twice, and emphasized his commitment to using the lessons learned from his previous term in office to strive for improvement and progress in his future endeavors, particularly as he stands for elections again.

“I dedicate this award to the team that helped me, day and night think through the challenges that we had as a country. And we went through some difficult times. We had a power crisis, we had an economic crisis and one had to be innovative and creative thinking to be able to steer through those times.

“I’m inspired by this award because not everybody gets the chance or the opportunity to be president twice. Incidentally, I’m standing for elections again, it is what gives me an opportunity you reflect over these last eight years on things that you did well and things that I didn’t do so well and get an opportunity to come and make those things better. And so, I consider this From the Heritage Times as an inspiration.”