The Ambassador
Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America
Hajia Alima Mahama was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States of America in June 2021. Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Mahama served as a Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (2017-2021). She previously served as Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs and MP (2005 to 2009) and Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.
Her passion for gender equality and the protection of children has been evident throughout her career, especially in her contribution to the passage of Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act and the Human Trafficking Act, as well as the ratification of related conventions at the level of the African Union and the United Nations. She was also influential in changes in Ghana’s National Health Insurance Law to improve maternal health, among other issues.
As Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, she was instrumental in the formulation of the National Decentralization Policy and Strategy (2020-2040). It was developed to foster quality service delivery through a decentralized local governance system and active citizen’s participation to facilitate economic growth, income generation, and poverty alleviation.
Other initiatives to her credit include the formulation of the Local Economic Development Policy and Action Plan, the Rural Development Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan, and the passage of the new Births and Deaths Registration Act. These paved the way for the decentralization and digitization of the Births and Deaths Registry in Ghana.
In addition to her service to the government, Ambassador Mahama has had a long career in international development. She has served as a consultant for IFAD, OXFAM, and Action Aid Ghana. She was a senior technical advisor for Attainment of MDG3 in Liberia (2009-2011), a program supported by the government of Denmark to promote gender equality.
From 1987 to 2001, she served as the senior planner and gender development coordinator of the Northern Region Rural Integrated Program (NORRIP), an initiative of the government of Ghana and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Ambassador Mahama was a Humphrey Fellow at Rutgers University where she studied urban policy and planning and women’s studies. She was also affiliated with the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). She is the recipient of a Pearson Fellowship Award, sponsored by the Government of Canada and administered by the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Ambassador Mahama is a graduate of Ghana Law School and was called to the bar in 1982. She holds an M.A. in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague.
Additional Information:
From 2020 to 2022, Ambassador Mahama served as Chairman of the ECOWAS Administration and Finance Committee (CAF) under Ghana’s two-year Chairmanship of ECOWAS.
Ambassador Ismaila’s Background:
Ambassador Ismaila holds a B.A. degree in Arabic and Philosophy and an M.A in International Affairs, both from the University of Ghana, Legon. He also holds an MBA in Human Resource Management from the University of New York in Prague, Czech Republic. Other professional qualifications include a postgraduate certificate in International Crisis Management from the Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and a Professional Program for African Diplomats from the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) in Beijing, China.
Ambassador Ismaila is married and blessed with four children. He enjoys reading and bringing his background in philosophy and logical thinking to bear on his day-to-day activities.
