President Mahama honoured with African Statesmanship & Democratic Renewal Award at HRRG Global RightsCon Awards

President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has been honoured with the African Statesmanship & Democratic Renewal Award at the inaugural HRRG Global RightsCon Awards, in recognition of his enduring contribution to democratic governance, inclusive development, regional cooperation, peaceful democratic transitions, and public service across Africa.

The prestigious honour was conferred by Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) in collaboration with its global partners and stakeholders during the official unveiling and inaugural presentation ceremony of the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria, as part of the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference 2026.

Recognition of democratic leadership

According to HRRG, President Mahama was selected for the award in recognition of his efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, promote civic participation, support peaceful transfers of power, and champion regional cooperation and sustainable development within the African continent.

The organisation noted that his leadership reflects the values of principled statesmanship, dialogue, accountability, and democratic resilience at a time when many African countries continue to confront complex governance, human rights, security, and development challenges.

Presenting the award, Dr Joseph Kobla Wemakor, Founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, said the recognition forms part of HRRG’s broader commitment to celebrating leaders, institutions, and advocates whose work advances democracy, protects civic freedoms, promotes human rights, and inspires positive transformation across Africa and beyond.

“President John Dramani Mahama represents the importance of democratic leadership, inclusive governance, and regional solidarity. Through this honour, we recognise not only his dedicated service to Ghana but also his contribution to advancing democratic values, peaceful governance, and cooperation across Africa and beyond,” Dr Wemakor stated.

He added that the award underscores the importance of leadership anchored in transparency, accountability, dialogue, peaceful democratic transitions, social inclusion, and sustainable development.

Representation by Ghana High Commission

President Mahama was unable to attend the ceremony due to official engagements. He was represented by Mrs. Jennifer Y. Annor-Tettey, Counsellor/Consular Affairs at the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria, who officially received the award on his behalf.

Mrs. Annor-Tettey also received the African Diplomacy & Global Solidarity Award for Sustainable Development on behalf of Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was also unable to attend the ceremony.

Other distinguished honourees

The ceremony also recognised renowned Kenyan legal scholar, public intellectual, and Pan-Africanist Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba (PLO Lumumba), whose Pan-African Legal Thought & Moral Leadership Award was received by Ambassador Aliyu Suleiman, representative of the Nigeria Chapter of the PLO Lumumba Foundation.

In addition, Ms. Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change, West Africa, personally received the Civic Space & Social Justice Advocacy Award for her outstanding contribution to protecting civic space, advancing social justice, and strengthening inclusive democratic participation across the region.

All presented honourees and designated representatives received official HRRG Global RightsCon 2026 Award packages, comprising customised award plaques bearing their names and recognition details, A3 Citations of Honour outlining their achievements and contributions, and official award booklets containing photographs, citations, and profiles of the inaugural recipients.

Seven award categories

The HRRG Global RightsCon Awards were established to recognise individuals and institutions whose work advances human rights, democratic governance, digital freedoms, civic participation, social justice, and sustainable development.

The awards are presented across seven distinguished categories, namely:

Special Pan-African Leadership Award
Global Digital Rights Leadership Award
Sanitation & Sustainable Cities Leadership Award
Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership Award
African Civil Society Leadership & Sustainable Development Excellence Award
Emerging Human Rights Leadership & Youth Advocacy Award
Local Governance & Community Transformation Leadership Award

The inaugural ceremony formally recognised honourees under the Special Pan-African Leadership, Sanitation & Sustainable Cities Leadership, and Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership categories.

Additional recipients

Other distinguished personalities honoured during the ceremony included:

His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – African Democratic Leadership & Regional Integration Award
Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba – Pan-African Legal Thought & Moral Leadership Award
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa – African Diplomacy & Global Solidarity Award for Sustainable Development

Additional honourees recognised under various categories included Access Now and the RightsCon Global Team for advancing digital rights and internet freedom; Ing. Dr George Asiedu for sanitation and sustainable development leadership; Hon. Alfredos Nii Anyetei for local governance and community transformation; Joshua Elikplim Adjei for emerging human rights leadership and youth advocacy; and Eminence Lead International for leadership development and social transformation.

From RightsCon initiative to global honours platform

HRRG disclosed that the Global RightsCon Awards were initially conceived as a special recognition initiative to coincide with the RightsCon 2026 Summit scheduled for Lusaka, Zambia. Following the cancellation of the summit, the organisation’s Board of Directors and Awards Committee resolved that the exceptional contributions of the selected inaugural honourees deserved formal international recognition and proceeded with the official unveiling and presentation of the awards in Abuja, Nigeria.

The organisation said the inaugural awards represent HRRG’s commitment to building a credible global recognition platform that celebrates courage, integrity, innovation, and transformational leadership while highlighting individuals and institutions whose work strengthens democratic governance, protects civic freedoms, advances human rights, and promotes sustainable development across Africa and beyond.

With this recognition, President John Dramani Mahama joins the inaugural class of distinguished African and international personalities honoured for their contributions to governance, diplomacy, civic leadership, human rights, and sustainable development.

Human Rights Reporters Ghana and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to institutionalising the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards as a leading global honours programme dedicated to celebrating transformational leadership and advancing human dignity, democratic renewal, and sustainable development worldwide.