President John Dramani Mahama Honoured with African Statesmanship & Democratic Renewal Award at Inaugural HRRG Global RightsCon Awards
Abuja, Nigeria – July 14, 2026 – Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) in collaboration with global partners and stakeholders, has conferred the African Statesmanship & Democratic Renewal Award on the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, in recognition of his distinguished contribution to democratic governance, inclusive development, regional cooperation and public service across Africa.
The prestigious recognition was presented during the official unveiling and inaugural presentation ceremony of the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria, as part of the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference 2026.
HRRG expresses its sincere appreciation to Spaces for Change, West Africa, Civic Advisory Hub (CAH) and their partners for providing the platform through the continental conference for the successful official unveiling and inaugural presentation of the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards.
Recognising Leadership for Democratic Renewal
According to HRRG, President Mahama was selected for the African Statesmanship & Democratic Renewal Award because of his sustained commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting civic participation, supporting peaceful democratic transitions, fostering regional cooperation and advancing sustainable development across Africa.
The organisation noted that the award recognises leaders whose service demonstrates principled statesmanship, accountability, inclusive governance and respect for democratic values at a time when many countries continue to confront governance, civic space and human rights challenges.
Presenting the award, Dr Joseph Kobla Wemakor, Founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, said the recognition reflects HRRG’s commitment to celebrating transformational leadership that contributes to democratic renewal, human dignity and sustainable development.
“President John Dramani Mahama represents the importance of democratic leadership, inclusive governance and regional solidarity. Through this honour, we recognise not only his service to Ghana but also his contribution to advancing democratic values and cooperation across Africa and beyond,” Dr Wemakor stated.
He added that the award also underscores the importance of leadership anchored in transparency, accountability, dialogue, peaceful democratic transitions, social inclusion and sustainable development.
Dr Wemakor explained that the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards were established to recognise outstanding individuals, institutions and organisations whose work advances human rights, democratic governance, digital freedoms, civic participation, social justice and sustainable development across Africa and the wider global community.
Award Received on President Mahama’s Behalf
President Mahama was unable to attend the ceremony due to official engagements. The award was officially received on his behalf by Mrs Jennifer Y. Annor-Tettey, Counsellor/Consular Affairs at the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria.
Mrs Annor-Tettey also received the African Diplomacy & Global Solidarity Award for Sustainable Development on behalf of Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Other Distinguished Honourees
The inaugural ceremony also recognised several outstanding African leaders and institutions for their contributions to democracy, governance, civic leadership and sustainable development.
Among the distinguished recipients were:
• His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – African Democratic Leadership & Regional Integration Award.
• Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba (PLO Lumumba) – Pan-African Legal Thought & Moral Leadership Award, received on his behalf by Ambassador Aliyu Suleiman, representative of the Nigeria Chapter of the PLO Lumumba Foundation.
• Ms Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change, West Africa – Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership Award, received in person for her outstanding contribution to protecting civic space, advancing social justice and strengthening inclusive democratic participation.
Other recipients recognised under various award categories included Access Now and the RightsCon Global Team for advancing digital rights and internet freedom; Ing. Dr George Asiedu for sanitation and sustainable development leadership; Hon. Alfredos Nii Anyetei for local governance and community transformation; Joshua Elikplim Adjei for emerging human rights leadership and youth advocacy; and Eminence Lead International for leadership development and social transformation.
All recipients and designated representatives received official HRRG Global RightsCon Award Packages, comprising customised award plaques, A3 Citations of Honour and commemorative award booklets documenting the achievements of the inaugural honourees.
About the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards
The HRRG Global RightsCon Awards were established by Human Rights Reporters Ghana as a premier international honours programme dedicated to recognising individuals, institutions and organisations whose work strengthens democratic governance, advances human rights, protects civic freedoms, promotes digital rights, encourages social justice and contributes to sustainable development.
The awards are presented under seven distinguished categories:
• Special Pan-African Leadership Award
• Global Digital Rights Leadership Award
• Sanitation & Sustainable Cities Leadership Award
• Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership Award
• African Civil Society Leadership & Sustainable Development Excellence Award
• Emerging Human Rights Leadership & Youth Advocacy Award
• Local Governance & Community Transformation Leadership Award
The inaugural presentation recognised recipients under the Special Pan-African Leadership, Sanitation & Sustainable Cities Leadership, and Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership categories.
Building a Lasting Global Recognition Platform
The HRRG Global RightsCon Awards were originally conceived as a special recognition initiative to coincide with the RightsCon 2026 Summit in Lusaka, Zambia. Following the cancellation of the summit, HRRG’s Board of Directors and Awards Committee resolved that the exceptional achievements of the inaugural honourees deserved formal international recognition and therefore proceeded with the official unveiling and presentation of the awards in Abuja, Nigeria.
The successful inauguration of the awards marks an important milestone in HRRG’s commitment to building a credible global recognition platform that celebrates courage, integrity, innovation and transformational leadership while spotlighting individuals and institutions whose work advances democracy, protects civic freedoms, promotes human rights and contributes to sustainable development.
With this recognition, President John Dramani Mahama joins the inaugural class of distinguished African and international leaders honoured by HRRG for their outstanding contributions to governance, diplomacy, democratic leadership, human rights and sustainable development.
Human Rights Reporters Ghana and partners remain committed to institutionalising the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards as a leading global honours programme dedicated to celebrating leadership that advances human dignity, democratic renewal, justice, accountability and sustainable development across Africa and beyond.
