Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
Assumed office
28 January 2017
PresidentNana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byHanna Tetteh
Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Anyaa Sowotuom
In office
7 January 2013 – 7 January 2021
PresidentJohn Mahama
Nana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byNew constituency
Majority4,545
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
PresidentJohn Kufour
Personal details
Born
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

(1963-02-08) 8 February 1963
Accra, Ghana
Political partyNew Patriotic Party
ChildrenTwo
Education St Mary's Senior High School
Alma materUniversity of Ghana, Grays Inn, London
ProfessionJournalist
CabinetMinister
CommitteesGender and Children Committee Communications Committee

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (born 8 February 1963), is a Ghanaian politician who serves as Ghana's minister for foreign affairs and regional integration. She was appointed by Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 10 January 2017.[1][2] She was a Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom from 2013 to 2021.[3] and had served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing[4] under John Kufuor.[5][6] She is a member of the New Patriotic Party.

Early life

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was born in Accra on 8 February 1963.[7] She had her secondary education at St. Mary's Girls' Senior High School at Korle-Gonno. She is a product of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the Pitman's Central College, University of London and University of Westminster all in the United Kingdom (UK).[8]

The Hon. Minister holds an Executive MBA, (Project Management option), MA in Public Communication, Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB), a Diploma in Public Relations and Advertising as well as a certificate in Marketing Management.

Political life

In the last NPP administration under President John Agyekum Kufuor, Hon Ayorkor Botchwey served as Deputy Minister for the Foreign Affairs, Information, as well as the Trade and Industry ministries. She is a fourth term legislator and represented the most populous constituency in the country, Weija, for two terms until it was demarcated. She is currently serving a second term, representing the people of Anyaa/Sowutuom.[9] She will not be running for re-election in the 2020 general and parliamentary elections.[10]

At the party level, the Hon. Minister served as spokesperson on Foreign Affairs between the year 2009 and 2013.

During the same period, she was Ranking Member for the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and subsequently, the Appointments, Defence and Interior Committees of Parliament

A member of the ECOWAS Parliament from 2013 – 2017, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey worked with her colleagues to assist the Community Parliament in its advisory role in considering matters concerning the region particularly on issues relating to fundamental human rights and freedom, while making recommendations to institutions and organs of ECOWAS. The Hon Minister also served as Vice Chair on the NEPAD & APRM Committees.

Currently she sits on the Communication as well as the Gender and Children Committees of Parliament where she works with colleague members to look into matters relating to communications generally as well as examine all gender and children focused issues to ensure their inclusion in all appropriate legislation. on the list presented to parliament for approval on 21 January 2021, by the president of Ghana Nana Akuffo-Addo, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was nominated as the minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.[11]

Career

Before entering into frontline politics, Shirley ran a Marketing and Communications Company where she was a consultant for the Ministry of Tourism. She was also the managing director of Dynacom Limited.[12]

As a practitioner of public administration, she worked with various organizations such as Worldspace Ghana, the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Glaxo Group Research and Hodge Recruitment.[13]

Shirley is currently the Chairperson of ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana.[14]

Personal life

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is single with two children.[15][16] She is a Christian who is an Anglican by denomination.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ayorkor Botchway is Foreign Affairs Minister-Designate". GhanaWeb. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  2. ↑ "Chinese Ambassador Pays Farewell Visit To Foreign Minister". DailyGuide Network. 2020-06-05. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  3. ↑ "Parliament of Ghana".
  4. ↑ "Ministry of Water Resources, Works & Housing". ghana peacefmonline. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  5. ↑ "Members of Parliament | Parliament of Ghana". parliament of ghana. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  6. ↑ "Ayorkor Botchway targets 50k victory margin". Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  7. ↑ "Parliament of Ghana". parliament of ghana. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  8. ↑ "Minister – Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration". Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  9. ↑ "Minister – Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration". Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  10. ↑ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey pulls out of Anyaa-Sowutuom NPP primaries". The Independent Ghana. 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  11. ↑ "Akufo-Addo presents first list of ministers for his second term to parliament - MyJoyOnline.com". Myjoyonline. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  12. ↑ "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Botchwey, Shirley Ayorkor". Ghana MPs. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  13. ↑ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Biography". ghanaweb. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  14. ↑ "Guinea coup: Alpha Condé still in shock – Ayorkor Botchwey". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  15. ↑ "I am a grandmother and single - Shirley Ayorkor-Botchwey". ghanaweb. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  16. ↑ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey – Foreign Affairs - Government of Ghana". Government of Ghana. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
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