Sabah Zita Benson

Sabah Zita Benson is a Ghanaian lawyer, diplomat and former politician who serves as Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, making history as the first woman to hold that post. Appointed by President John Dramani Mahama, she took up her duties in London in 2025, bringing a career that spans legal practice, government and international diplomacy.

Born Sabah Faddool around June 1975 to Joseph Faddool and Rose Odonkor, she adopted the name Zita upon her confirmation into the Catholic Church at the age of thirteen while studying at Archbishop Porter Girls' Secondary School in Takoradi. Her upbringing and schooling in the Western Region laid the groundwork for an academic path that combined the humanities with law and prepared her for a career in public service.

Benson's education was extensive. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Law from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology between 1996 and 1999, obtained an LLB from the University of Ghana between 2002 and 2004, and was called to the Ghana Bar after attending the Ghana School of Law in 2006. This legal training underpinned her subsequent roles in government and diplomacy, equipping her with the analytical and negotiating skills that would define her public career.

Over the years she held several notable positions in Ghana's public life. She served in ministerial capacities, including roles associated with information and tourism, and gained diplomatic experience as Ghana's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, with concurrent accreditation to Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Macedonia. These assignments gave her firsthand experience of representing Ghana abroad and managing bilateral relations across multiple European states.

Her appointment as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom was formally confirmed in 2025 and she was commissioned by President Mahama in Accra before arriving in London in September to begin her tour of duty and present her letters of credence. As the first female Ghanaian High Commissioner to the UK, she assumed a post of considerable importance given the deep historical, economic and community ties between the two countries and the large Ghanaian diaspora in Britain. Combining legal expertise, political experience and diplomatic service, Benson now represents Ghana in one of its most significant overseas missions, working to strengthen relations with the United Kingdom and Ireland and to serve the interests of Ghanaians abroad.