Meet Yaa Asantewaa's descendant called 'Chief' who could be Ghana's next president

For many election watchers and experts, Ghana, in the last 20 plus years, has seemed like it is on a path of a two-party state, but that has not entirely been cemented yet.

This is because every now and then, during major elections, one or two candidates, mostly from an independent party, come in to frustrate the process, taking away from the usual New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) some significant numbers in the general elections.

In 2024, there is one such candidate who is also a direct descendant of the warrior Ashanti queen mother, Yaa Asantewaa.

Alan Kyerematen, who until about a year ago, was a tower in the NPP, having been one of its founding members, walked out of the door after he had, literally, reached his wits end.

Not being the first time he had tried to sever ties with the party he was an integral part in forming, this time, he made a permanent move, launching himself into the independent presidential sphere of things.

This brought to an end his spell as the longest-serving Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana, and completely cutting his umbilical cord to the NPP; the only party that he had been associated with for the entirety of his life.

Today, Ala Kyerematen will have his face on the presidential ballot sheets on December 7, 2024, as the presidential candidate of the Movement for Change, or the movement referred to as the Afrafranto Movement.

The yellow and black political movement is determined and convinced it will be the one to make this country the joy of its citizens, with a profound Great Transformational Plan (GTP) blueprint of what he hopes will bring great change to Ghana, directing their campaign messaging.

And for those unaware, Alan Kyerematen is a royal of Ejisu and a descendant of the legendary Queen Mother, Yaa Asantewaa.

His late father, Alexander Atta Yaw Kyerematen, was the founder of the National Culture Centre in Kumasi and played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Asante culture and heritage.

But who exactly is Alan Kyerematen?

Alan Kyerematen is a Presidential Candidate for the 2024 General Elections in Ghana, and a former Minister for Trade and Industry. He is the founder and leader of the Movement for Change, a political organization established to inspire and lead the process to change and transform Ghana into a prosperous, united and peaceful nation. He is also the Leader of Alliance for Revolutionary Change.

He was appointed in January 2017 by President Akufo-Addo as Minister for Trade and Industry and resigned honourably in January 2023, after six years of service to pursue his Presidential ambition. Mr. Kyerematen had previously served in a

similar capacity as Minister for Trade, Industry and President Special Initiatives (PSI) under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, between 2003 and 2007.

Prior to that, he served as Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America

from 2001 to 2003. Alan has had an extensive and distinguished record in international trade, public policy, enterprise development, politics, diplomacy and law. He was a Senior Trade Policy Advisor for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

He was also Regional Director for UNDP's flagship programme for enterprise development in Africa, Enterprise Africa, establishing Enterprise Support Programmes in 13 African countries.

As Minister for Trade and Industry, he led the implementation of the Government of Ghana’s Industrial Transformation Agenda which is anchored on a Ten Point Plan, including the One District One Factory (1D1F) Initiative, the establishment of Strategic Anchor Industries, including the Automobile Industry, the development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), the establishment of Industrial Parks and SEZs including the Greater Kumasi Industrial City, and enhancing Export Development in Ghana.

Mr. Kyerematen was the leading architect for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) project between 2011 and 2012, and successfully led Ghana’s bid in 2018 to host the Headquarters Secretariat of the AfCFTA in Accra.

Prior to his role in politics, Alan Kyerematen was responsible for establishing and managing the EMPRETEC Programme in Ghana, a leading business development institution sponsored by the United Nations. He led the transformation of EMPRETEC from a UN project into an independent Foundation, which is recognized as a world-class institution and best practice model for entrepreneurship development in Africa.

Between 1984 and 1990, he managed a number of major private and public sector consulting assignments in Ghana, as a Principal Consultant and Head of Public Systems Management with the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), a leading management development institution in Ghana. Prior to this, he was a senior corporate executive with UAC Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of Unilever International, where he worked in various managerial positions with distinction between 1977-1984.

Alan Kyerematen is a graduate in Economics from the University of Ghana and is also a qualified Barrister-at-Law from the Ghana Law School. In addition, he is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow of the School of Public Affairs and the School of Management of the University of Minnesota, USA under the US Fulbright Fellowship programme. His secondary school alma maters are Adisadel College and Achimota School of Cape Coast and Accra respectively.

In 1994, Mr. Kyerematen was listed as one of the top 100 Global Leaders for the New Millennium by the Time International Magazine together with other personalities such as Bill Gates and John F Kennedy Jnr. of the United States of America. In 2013, he was nominated by the Heads of States of the African Union to contest as Africa’s Candidate for the position of Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Alan was born on 3rd October 1955 in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He is married to Patricia Christabel Kyerematen. They are blessed with two sons, Alexander and Victor.



AE