William Ofori Atta (10 October 1910 – 14 July 1988), popularly called "Paa Willie", was a Ghanaian founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and one of the founding fathers of Ghana as one of "The Big Six" detained by the British colonial government in the then Gold Coast.

[4] He was thus a nobleman of royal lineage of the Ofori-Atta dynasty, although the fact that the Akan people (to which he belonged) are traditionally matrilineal meant that he was not a dynastic prince.

He was an active member of the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) which campaigned against the 'Union Government' concept by General I. K. Acheampong, then Head of state of Ghana and Chairman of the Supreme Military Council (SMC).

[9][13] After the fall of the SMC, he stood for president in the 1979 Ghanaian presidential election on the ticket of the United National Convention coming third with 17.41 per cent of the popular vote.

He also pushed for a number of economic policy guidelines with a singular aim; "ensuring the development of a strong nation and a modern economy where citizens live in dignity".

[15] For him, the cornerstone of Ghana's economic policy lied in transformation of the agriculture sector into highly productive and profitable enterprise that would provide a foundation for an expansive industrial programmes.