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0 Ghana’s Captain Georgina Jopap RTD., a distinguished female personality and the first African woman to qualify as a Master Mariner, was crowned the winner of the maiden Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings Legacy Award on Wednesday at the GNAT Hall in Accra.
Nigeria’s multi-lingual creative entrepreneur, TV producer, and President of Bridge Africa, Victoria Nkong, was also honoured.
Capt. Georgina Jopap and Victoria Nkong were decorated by former First Lady Dr. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and presented with plaques.
Nana Ama Serwaa, President of the Queen Mothers Foundation Ghana, received an award from Agrihouse Foundation.
Capt. Georgina Jopap’s award was accompanied by a citation that read: Captain Jopap envisions a future where women are empowered to lead and excel in the maritime industry and beyond.
She is dedicated to breaking barriers, advocating for gender equality, and creating opportunities for women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Through mentorship, education, and policy advocacy, she aims to equip women with the skills, confidence, and support they need to thrive.
The message continued that her vision includes fostering inclusive maritime policies, expanding training programs for young women, and strengthening networks that encourage female leadership. Ultimately, she seeks to create lasting change by inspiring future generations of women to pursue careers in maritime and other critical sectors.
She contributed to the improvement of maritime education as a member of the Accreditation Team for the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
As the head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for West and Central Africa, she facilitated collaboration among stakeholders to address port and maritime challenges.
She enhanced capacity in the oil and gas sector as the Team Leader for Oil and Gas Training Programs at the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI).
She strengthened regional maritime border security as a visiting lecturer at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
Victoria Nkong’s citation reads: Victoria is a passionate advocate for children, youth, and women, empowering them to find purpose without compromising their values.
Known in Nigeria as a champion for the girl child, she leads impactful initiatives, including Slum Invasion, which helps youths gain skills, and Share Your Closet, which supports widows in starting businesses.
She also aids single mothers and recently helped elderly women transition out of sex work. Victoria is a bridge to hope, purpose, and fulfillment, proving that with determination, anyone can achieve their dreams.
Speaking the during the function, Dr Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings expressed profound gratitude to the Executive Director of the Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa for the honour done her.
She commended her for making a great effort to improve the lives of women through agriculture.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings express worry that despite the vital role women play in the agricultural sector, it has still been overlooked and admonished change.
She said when women are given the right tools and opportunity, they become innovators, entrepreneurs and capable to drive economic growth, increase productivity, and ensure food security for all.
Nana Konadu advised that people must continue to invest in mentorship and technology that empowers women farmers.
She further explained that empowering women alone is not enough but connecting them to sustainable agribusiness opportunities is what matters most.
“We must remove the barriers that limit women’s participation in agribusiness and replace them with opportunities for growth, for leadership, and prosperity, developing sustainable farmers and creating dignified agri-jobs for women is a collective task.”
She appealed to the government, private sector partners, financial institutions come together to support community leaders to build an inclusive agricultural sector where women thrive, families prosper, and communities flourish.
She called on women activists to continue to champion policies that protect women farmers and motivate them to invest in initiatives that promote sustainable farming, and ensure that every woman working in agriculture is given respect, dignity, and opportunities.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was accompanied by her daughter and MP for Klottey Korle, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.
The Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings Legacy Awards, the major highlight of the 2025 edition of the Gathering of Royals, was designed to celebrate and honor women who have positively fought for gender advancement in areas such as education, agro-processing, healthcare, and the well-being of vulnerable children and youth.
It also recognised their advocacy for meaningful policy interventions and support systems that promote gender equality.
The event brought together over 100 queen mothers and 365 women farmers from all 16 regions of Ghana. They engaged in discussions on how queen mothers can leverage their influence to promote gender equality in the agricultural sector.
