Joyce Bawah Mogtari

Joyce Bawah Mogtari is a Ghanaian lawyer, politician and public servant who serves as Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to President John Dramani Mahama. A trained maritime law specialist and former deputy minister, she has become one of the most visible figures in Mahama's inner circle and a prominent advocate for his administration.

Mogtari's legal foundation is substantial. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Qualifying Certificate in Law, and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2000. She went on to earn a Master of Laws in International Maritime Transport Law from the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta, an institution affiliated with the International Maritime Organization, where she was awarded the IMO Legal Committee Chairman's prize as the best student in her specialisation. This expertise in maritime and transport law shaped much of her early professional career.

She began legal practice with the firm Sey and Co and later worked as a consultant for KPMG and the Venture Capital Trust Fund. She subsequently headed the legal department and served as Solicitor Secretary of the Ghana Shippers' Authority, and rose to lead that body between 2007 and 2013. Her combination of legal skill and sector knowledge positioned her for a move into government during Mahama's first period in office.

Mogtari served as Deputy Minister of Transport from 2013, a role that drew on her maritime and transport background and brought her into frontline national policy. After the NDC left power she remained closely associated with Mahama, serving as a special aide and becoming a leading spokesperson and campaigner for the former president during his years in opposition. Her articulate public advocacy made her a recognisable defender of his agenda across media platforms.

With Mahama's return to the presidency, she was appointed Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to the President in January 2025, a position that underscores her standing as a trusted confidante and her blend of legal, consultancy and political experience. She continues to advise the president and represent the administration in public life. Married and a mother of four, Mogtari is regarded as one of the influential women in Ghana's governing circles, combining professional credentials in law with a decade of high-profile political service.