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Zita Benson Makes History as Ghana’s First Female High Commissioner to the UK
Ghana’s newly appointed High Commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and other territories, H.E. Mrs. Sabah Zita Benson, is a trailblazer whose storied journey through politics, law, and diplomacy has culminated in her historic May 2025 appointment by President John Dramani Mahama.
Mrs. Benson becomes the first woman to head the Ghana High Commission in London—an unprecedented milestone in Ghana’s foreign service.
Born Sabah Faddool to Mr. Joseph Faddool and Madam Rose Odonkor, she adopted the name “Zita” after her Catholic confirmation at the age of 13 while a student at Archbishop Porter Girls’ Secondary School in Takoradi. Even in her youth, she showed promise—leading cadet corps, excelling in debates, and captivating audiences in school plays, often cast as Angel Gabriel.
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Her academic path reflects rigorous preparation. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Law from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 1999, followed by an LLB from the University of Ghana in 2004. She was called to the Ghana Bar in 2006, later earning an LL.M. in Oil and Gas in 2014.
Her ascent in politics was swift and striking. In 2009, at just 33 years old, she became the youngest woman appointed as a Minister of State—first as Minister of Information, then as Minister of Tourism—under the late President John Evans Atta Mills. She was instrumental in coordinating communication strategies during President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Ghana that same year.
Her diplomatic acumen later led her to Europe, where she served as Ghana’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, with concurrent accreditation to Slovakia, Hungary, Macedonia, and Romania. Her tenure marked a renaissance in Ghana’s diplomatic engagements with the region. Key achievements include:
- Facilitating a memorandum of understanding with the Czech government to supply ammunition to Ghana’s Immigration Service,
- Spearheading the reopening of the Hungarian Embassy in Accra,
- Securing visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders between Ghana and Hungary, and
- Establishing scholarship opportunities for Ghanaian students in Hungary, complete with monthly stipends.
Mrs. Benson also played a strategic role in governance transitions, serving on both the 2009 and 2024 Presidential Transition Teams, ensuring smooth and effective administrative handovers.
Outside her official roles, she is deeply rooted in family life. She is married to Mr. Bobby Benson, a pharmacist, and together they have three children.
A proud alumna of Archbishop Porter Girls, Mrs. Benson remains passionate about mentoring young women and hopes her legacy will inspire the next generation of female leaders to champion the rights of women and children across Ghana and beyond.
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