Mahamudu Bawumia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mahamudu Bawumia
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Bawumia in 2017
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| 7th Vice President of Ghana | |
| In office 7 January 2017 – 7 January 2025 |
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| President | Nana Akufo-Addo |
| Preceded by | Kwesi Amissah-Arthur |
| Succeeded by | Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 October 1963 Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana |
| Political party | New Patriotic |
| Spouse | Samira Ramadan |
| Relations | Mumuni Bawumia (father) Mariama Bawumia (mother) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Buckingham University Lincoln College, Oxford Simon Fraser University |
| Occupation | Economist, Politician |
Mahamudu Bawumia (born 7 October 1963) is a Ghanaian politician and economist. He served as the seventh Vice President of Ghana from 2017 to 2025. He worked under President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Before becoming Vice President, he was a central banker. He was also the candidate for president for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election. He also ran as the NPP's vice-presidential candidate in the 2012 elections. He has a PhD in economics from Simon Fraser University.
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Early Life and Education
Mahamudu Bawumia was born in Tamale, Ghana. His parents were Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia and Hajia Mariama Bawumia. He is part of the Mamprusi people.
He went to Sakasaka primary school in Tamale. In 1975, he started at Tamale Secondary School. After high school, he moved to the United Kingdom. There, he studied banking and earned a diploma. In 1981, he was president of the Ghana United Nations Students’ Association (GUNSA). He earned a First Class Honours Degree in economics from Buckingham University in 1987.
Later, he got a master's degree in economics from Lincoln College, Oxford. In 1995, he earned his PhD in economics from Simon Fraser University in Canada. He focused on topics like how economies work, international trade, and money policies.
Career Highlights
From 1988 to 1990, Bawumia taught economics in London, England. He also worked as an economist at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. He later represented the African Development Bank in Zimbabwe.
Between 1996 and 2000, Bawumia was a professor of economics at Baylor University in Texas, USA. He won a Young Researcher Award in 1998. He was also listed among "Who Is Who Among America's Teachers" in 1999.
Bawumia returned to Ghana in 2000. He joined the Bank of Ghana as an economist. He moved up to head of department. Then he became a special assistant to the bank's governor. In 2006, President John Kufuor made him deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana.
As deputy governor, Mahamudu Bawumia helped with many important changes:
- He helped create a plan to control inflation, which is when prices go up. This plan helped reduce inflation from over 40% in 2000 to 10.2% by 2007.
- He helped open up the banking sector. This made it easier for businesses to get loans.
- He was part of the team that worked with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This helped Ghana reduce its debt by almost $4 billion.
- He helped Ghana get a grant from the US government. This led to big projects like the George Bush Highway.
- He helped design and launch the e-zwich system. This system made it easier for different banks to work together.
- He oversaw the health of Ghana's banking system.
- He served on the boards of several important organizations. These included the Bank of Ghana and Ghana Telecom.
After the 2008 election, Bawumia left his role at the Bank of Ghana.
Political Journey
Mahamudu Bawumia became the running mate for Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 elections. Akufo-Addo was the presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Between 2008 and 2011, Bawumia worked as a consultant for economic organizations. He also advised the Central Bank of Sierra Leone. In 2011, he became the representative for the African Development Bank in Zimbabwe.
2012 Elections
In March 2012, Bawumia was again chosen as the Vice-Presidential Candidate for Nana Akufo-Addo. They ran in the 2012 General Elections. They won many seats in the Northern and Upper East Regions. However, they lost the presidential election to John Dramani Mahama.
2016 Elections
Nana Akuffo-Addo once again chose Bawumia as his running mate for the 2016 presidential election. This time, they won the election.
2024 Elections
On June 16, 2023, Bawumia officially entered the race to become the NPP's presidential candidate. On August 26, 2023, he won the party's special election with 68% of the votes. This made him the leading candidate.
On November 4, 2023, Bawumia was elected to lead the New Patriotic Party for the 2024 election. He won the NPP presidential primary with 61.43% of the votes.
On July 9, 2024, Bawumia announced Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his running mate. The announcement happened in Kumasi. On December 8, 2024, Bawumia accepted his defeat to former President John Mahama in the election.
Personal Life
Bawumia is married to Samira Bawumia. They have four children. He is a Muslim. His name, Bawumia, means "They have heard" in the Dagbanli and Gmampruli languages. He was named after Yaa Naa Mahamadu Bila, a king of Dagbon.
Helping Others
The Vice President is known for his charity work. In October 2020, he opened a modern mosque in Prang that he fully paid for. In June of the same year, he paid off almost 60 years of land lease debt for the Kumasi Central Mosque.
In September 2021, Bawumia promised to give GHS 1500 each month to Psalm Adjeteyfio for his rent and living costs. In May 2022, he gave GHs 20,000.00 to a taxi driver. This driver had returned GHs 8,400.00 that a passenger left behind. He also celebrates his birthday with people who have recovered from leprosy and with orphans.
Digital Ghana Initiatives
As Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia led the Digital Ghana Agenda. This plan brought big changes to the country, including:
- Making it easier to send money between different mobile money services.
- Creating a National Identification System (Ghana Card).
- Launching a National Health Insurance App.
- Digitizing the National Lotteries Authority.
- Creating a digital platform for government purchases.
- Developing a digital database for motor insurance.
- Launching Ghana.Gov, a platform for citizens to access government services online.
- Introducing E-Pharmacy and Telehealth Services Apps.
- Officially launching Electrical Buses.
Awards and Recognition
- 2007 — Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB).
- 2000 — Who Is Who Among America's Teachers? – Baylor University.
- 1999 — Young Researcher Award: Baylor University, Texas, USA.
- 1995–1999 — President's Research Fellowship: Ph.D. Simon Fraser University.
- 1991–1995 — 4 Graduate Fellowships: Ph.D. Simon Fraser University, Canada.
- 1986 Sir Alan Peacock Prize. Best Economics Student, University of Buckingham, United Kingdom.
- June 2019, Dr. Bawumia was named Digital Leader of the Year at the 9th Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards (GITTA).
