At the Jubilee House in Accra, President John Dramani Mahama commissioned the second group of eleven new ambassadors and high commissioners on Wednesday.

One of appointees taking the spotlight after last Wednesday’s ceremony is Benjamin kofi Quashie. Born: May 1, 1982 Benjamin Kofi Quashie who was commissioned by President John Mahama on October 2, set another feat by becoming the youngest diplomat to serve in the capacity as Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, another testament argue depicting the arguments of proponents who say that blueprint of President John Dramani Mahama to appoint relatively younger person into his administration. 

So who is Benjamin Quashie? 

Benjamin Kofi Quashie was the chairman of the National Democratic Congress's (NDC) council of elders in South Africa prior to his appointment.  The founder and president of the BKQ Foundation, Benjamin Quashie, is well-known both domestically and abroad for his charitable endeavors. He was instrumental in boosting widespread support for President John Mahama and the NDC among the diaspora in the run-up to the national elections in December 2024.

Mr. Quashie, a well-known member of the NDC, is a strong supporter of diaspora participation in national development and has made significant progress in that area.

EDUCATION

Benjamin Quashie is a graduate of the University of Cumbria's Robert Kennedy College with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science (BSc.).

In addition, he has multiple degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom in the areas of business, international relations, political economy, public policy advancement, and real estate economics and finance.

Also, he served as a Senior Fellow at the African Youth Chamber, where he assumed important roles such as promoting youth-focused policies at the national and regional levels, ensuring that the opinions of young people are heard in decision-making processes, and facilitating partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and international organizations to advance youth development initiatives.

WORK

Benjamin Quashie is a business mogul with a conglomerate of companies both in and outside Ghana. He is the founder and president of BKQ Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping people especially the needy. He also worked as the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Youth Chamber, where he represented the interests of young people across the 56 Commonwealth nations, advocating for policies that promote youth development, education, and economic empowerment.

He also launched a flagship entrepreneurship programme that has supported over 500 young entrepreneurs in starting and scaling their businesses, among several other achievements the area of business and national development.

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENTS

Mr. Quashie is a longtime member of the National Democratic Party (NDC) who previously served on the NDC's National Finance Committee, Volta Regional Communication Committee, and regional Finance Committee before being named High Commissioner  to South Africa.

He also supported constituencies with logistics for the 2024 election campaign: Kpando Constituency, Weija-Gbawe constituency, New Edubiase constituency, Ablekuma North constituency and Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency.