Mavis Hawa Koomson

Mavis Hawa Koomson is a former teacher who became one of the most prominent women in the Akufo-Addo government, first as Minister for Special Development Initiatives and then as Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. She represented Awutu Senya East, the Kasoa constituency in the Central Region, for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from 2013 to 2025.

A northern-born teacher

Born on 3 February 1966 with roots in Salaga in the Savannah Region, Koomson trained at Bimbilla Training College and spent years in the classroom, rising to principal superintendent. She was active in the ladies' wing of the Ghana National Association of Teachers. She holds education degrees from the University of Education, Winneba and a master's and postgraduate diplomas from GIMPA.

Cabinet minister

President Akufo-Addo appointed her Minister for Special Development Initiatives in January 2017, overseeing the government's constituency development programme. In 2021 she moved to Fisheries and Aquaculture, dealing with declining fish stocks and fishing communities along the coast.

The Kasoa shooting

In July 2020 she caused a national outcry by firing gunshots at a voter registration centre in Kasoa. She said she had acted in self-defence after armed men attacked her. The incident followed her through the rest of her career.

Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor of the NDC won Awutu Senya East in 2024.