A librarian before entering politics, she was first appointed to cabinet after the 1994 coup d'état and held a number of ministerial posts under President Yahya Jammeh.

[1] Following the 1994 coup d'état, Waffa-Ogoo was appointed Minister of Information and Tourism in the new government formed by Yahya Jammeh.

She returned to the tourism and culture portfolio in September 2004, but in February 2006 was sacked from the cabinet entirely and replaced by Angela Colley (a former student of hers).

Waffa-Ogoo returned to the cabinet in October 2006, as Minister for Trade, Industry, and Employment, but was again dismissed in February 2007.

[6] In November 2012, Waffa-Ogoo left her UN position in order to be re-appointed to cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs.