Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, KBE (11 October 1881 – 21 August 1943)[1] was the Okyenhene or King of the Akyem people and of Akyem Abuakwa, a traditional kingdom that stretches back to the thirteenth century and was one of the most influential kingdoms of the then Gold Coast Colony.

He left the seminary after two years to work as a solicitor's clerk, and then served in the West African Frontier Force, fighting during the Yaa Asantewaa War.

[5] "Ofori Atta was the son of a senior official of the palace; his mother was the descendant of one of the founders of the kingdom.... Once in power, he was determined to return Akyem Abuakwa to its former glory.

"[6] He created the Ofori-Atta dynasty by privileging education both among his sons and daughters, through two paths, "one firmly rooted in a concern for binding the state by the traditionally sanctioned method of multiple marriage and the other rooted in his strong case for 'modernisation' and 'progress'.

He was the grandfather of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (current President of Ghana),[5] Ken Ofori-Atta (Ghana's former Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and founder of the Databank Group), Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin (the Okyenhene, current King of Akyem Abuakwa), Samuel Atta Akyea (former Minister of Works and Housing), and writer Nana Oforiatta Ayim.