President John Dramani Mahama has been honoured with the African Statesmanship & Democratic Renewal Award at the inaugural HRRG Global RightsCon Awards in recognition of his contribution to democratic governance, inclusive development, regional cooperation and public service.

The prestigious award was conferred on the Ghanaian President by Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) in collaboration with its global partners and stakeholders during the official unveiling and inaugural presentation ceremony of the awards held in Abuja, Nigeria.

The ceremony took place on July 14, 2026, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as part of the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference 2026.

HRRG acknowledged Spaces for Change, West Africa, Civic Advisory Hub (CAH) and their partners for providing the platform that hosted the official unveiling and inaugural presentation of the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards

According to HRRG, the recognition celebrates President Mahama’s role in strengthening democratic institutions, promoting civic participation, supporting peaceful democratic transitions and advancing regional cooperation and sustainable development across Africa.

HRRG stated that President Mahama’s leadership reflects the values of principled statesmanship required to strengthen democratic resilience at a time when many African countries continue to face complex governance, human rights and development challenges.

Presenting the award, Founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, Dr Joseph Kobla Wemakor said the honour was part of efforts to recognise distinguished leaders, institutions and advocates whose contributions continue to promote democracy, human rights, civic freedoms and sustainable development.

“President John Dramani Mahama represents the importance of democratic leadership, inclusive governance and regional solidarity. Through this honour, we recognise not only his service to Ghana but also his contribution to advancing democratic values and cooperation across Africa and beyond,” Dr Wemakor said.

He added that the award underscores the importance of leadership built on transparency, accountability, dialogue, peaceful democratic transitions and social development.

Dr Wemakor explained that the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards were established to recognise individuals and institutions whose work advances human rights, democratic governance, digital freedoms, civic participation, social justice and sustainable development.

President Mahama was unable to attend the ceremony personally due to official engagements. He was represented by Counsellor/Consular Affairs Mrs Jennifer Y. Annor-Tettey, who was designated by the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria to receive the award on his behalf.

Also, honoured during the ceremony was Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who received the African Diplomacy & Global Solidarity Award for Sustainable Development.

The inaugural ceremony recognised honourees across three of the seven award categories, namely the Special Pan-African Leadership Award, Sanitation & Sustainable Cities Leadership Award, and the Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership Award.

The HRRG Global RightsCon Awards comprise seven distinguished categories designed to celebrate leadership, innovation and impact across Africa and beyond.

The categories include the Special Pan-African Leadership Award, which recognises exceptional statesmanship and visionary leadership advancing democratic governance, regional cooperation and Africa’s voice globally; the Sanitation & Sustainable Cities Leadership Award, which celebrates leadership promoting urban sanitation, water systems and sustainable city development; and the Civic Space & Social Justice Leadership Award, which honours individuals championing civic freedoms, social justice and inclusive democratic participation.

The remaining categories are the Local Governance & Community Transformation Leadership Award, the Emerging Human Rights Leadership & Youth Advocacy Award, the Global Digital Rights Leadership Award, and the African Civil Society Leadership & Sustainable Development Excellence Award.

Other distinguished personalities recognised during the ceremony included President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, who received the African Democratic Leadership & Regional Integration Award, and renowned Kenyan legal scholar and Pan-Africanist Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba (PLO Lumumba), who was honoured with the Pan-African Legal Thought & Moral Leadership Award.

Professor Lumumba’s award was received on his behalf by Ambassador Aliyu Suleiman, representative of the Nigeria chapter of the PLO Lumumba Foundation.

The ceremony also saw the personal attendance and recognition of Ms Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change, West Africa, who received the Civic Space & Social Justice Advocacy Award for her outstanding contribution to protecting civic space, advancing social justice and strengthening inclusive democratic participation.

The award packages presented to honourees and their representatives included customised award plaques bearing their names and recognition details, A3 Citations of Honour highlighting their achievements, and official award booklets containing photographs, citations and profiles of the inaugural recipients.

Other award recipients recognised under various categories included Access Now and the RightsCon Global Team for advancing digital rights and internet freedom; Ing. Dr George Asiedu for sustainable development and sanitation leadership; Hon. Alfredos Nii Anyetei for local governance and community transformation; Joshua Elikplim Adjei for emerging human rights leadership and youth advocacy; and Eminence Lead International for leadership development and social transformation.

The HRRG Global RightsCon Awards were initially conceived as a special recognition initiative alongside the RightsCon 2026 Summit in Lusaka, Zambia. Following the cancellation of the summit, HRRG’s Board of Directors and Awards Committee resolved that the outstanding contributions of the selected inaugural honourees deserved formal international recognition.

The organisation subsequently proceeded with the official unveiling and presentation of the awards in Abuja, Nigeria.

HRRG said the inaugural awards represent its commitment to building a global recognition platform that celebrates courage, integrity, innovation and leadership while highlighting individuals and institutions whose work strengthens democratic governance, protects civic freedoms, advances human rights and promotes sustainable development.

President Mahama joins an inaugural class of distinguished African and international personalities recognised for their contributions to governance, diplomacy, human rights, civic leadership and sustainable development.

Human Rights Reporters Ghana and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to institutionalising the HRRG Global RightsCon Awards as a leading global honours programme dedicated to celebrating transformational leadership and advancing human dignity worldwide.