William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (/æˈkʊfoʊ ɑːˈdoʊ/ ⓘ a-KUUF-oh ah-DOH;[1] born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from 2017 to 2025.

[20] Akufo-Addo's maternal grandfather was Nana Sir Ofori Atta, King of Akyem Abuakwa, who was a member of the executive council of the governor of the Gold Coast before Ghana's independence.

[22] He went to England and continued his education at Holmewood House Preparatory School before studying for his O-Level and A-Level examinations at Lancing College, Sussex, where he was nicknamed "Billy" and joined the Anglican faith.

[24] He subsequently joined the Middle Temple and trained as a lawyer under the apprenticeship system known as the Inns of Court, where no formal law degree was required.

In 1979, he co-founded the law firm Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co.[citation needed] Though known by his friends to have been a vocal supporter of the Convention People's Party (CPP) while a student in the University of Ghana, he switched sides to the rival United Party (UP) tradition following the overthrow of President Kwame Nkrumah in 1966 after which his father, Edward Akufo-Addo became ceremonial president of Ghana in 1969.

Akufo-Addo's participation in politics formally began in the late 1970s when he joined the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ),[27] an organization formed to oppose the General Acheampong-led Supreme Military Council's Union Government proposals.

At the forefront of this demonstration were himself, Abdul Malik, Kwaku Baako and Saifullah Senior minister Victor Newman, Kwasi Pratt Jnr, Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey among others.

He became the first attorney general and Minister for justice of the Kufuor era, and later moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

[38] Akufo-Addo ran again as the NPP's presidential candidate in the 2012 national elections against NDC's John Mahama, successor to the late Atta Mills.

[53][54] Akufo-Addo announced his intention to run for re-election by picking a nomination form as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party ahead of the 2020 general elections.

Twelve presidents from African and European countries attended the ceremony, including Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.

"[68][69][70] However, after the mea culpa, it was found that Akufo-Addo had also plagiarized portions of his 2013 concession speech after the Supreme Court of Ghana upheld the 2012 electoral victory of President John Mahama.

The president states it is a "necessary investment in the nation's future workforce" and will help parents who are unable to pay for their children's education due to financial hardships.

[77] Akufo-Addo celebrated notable improvements in the 2022 WASSCE results, with higher scores in English, Integrated Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies.

[78] Despite the IMF already warning the country that it was at high risk of debt-distress, the government of Akufo-Addo kept on borrowing, pushing up the nation's public debt from 56% of GDP to 63% before the pandemic.

[82][83] In February 2019, Akufo-Addo's administration announced a complete renovation of sports buildings around Ghana due to the country hosting the African Games in 2023.

[86] In May 2020, he swore into office two appointed Supreme Court Judges, Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu and Clemence Jackson Honyenuga at the Jubilee House.

[102][103] Akufo-Addo was presented with the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice in 2016 by the Harmony Foundation for sacrificing political ambitions for the sake of national peace and reconciliation.

[104] In May 2016, Akufo-Addo was bestowed Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Fort Hare University of South Africa, recognizing his legal and political leadership.

[114] In May 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres named Akufo-Addo among the newly appointed SDG advocates as co-chair alongside the prime minister of Norway, Erna Solberg.

[115] The role of these advocates is to raise awareness, inspire greater ambition, and push for faster action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In June 2019, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) announced it will honour Akufo-Addo with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Merit Award for Heads of State due to his tremendous contribution to sports development and projects in Ghana and for the successful bid for Ghana to host the 2023 African Games.

[116] Nana Akufo-Addo was honoured at the fourth Ghana Hotels Association Awards, held on 20 January 2020, for demonstrating visionary leadership by declaring the year of return and ensuring its successful execution.

[55] In May 2021, at a Congregation held in his honour, the University of Cape Coast conferred honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership degree on Akufo-Addo.

[118][119]Sorbonne recognized his commitment to democracy in Ghana, peace in West Africa, and his leadership in implementing the Free SHS policy and combating COVID-19.