Former Education and Energy Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has been ranked sixth on the African Regional Journal’s list of 100 Inspiring Individuals in Africa.
The recognition was announced through the African Regional Awards on Monday, October 26, 2026. It highlights people from a range of professional backgrounds, including public administration, business and institutional leadership, whose achievements are regarded as an inspiration across the continent.
The awards aim to celebrate individual achievement while encouraging greater participation in Africa’s development. The African Regional Journal says the initiative seeks to educate, inspire and motivate people to contribute to the continent’s progress.
Dr Opoku Prempeh’s selection follows a career in Ghanaian public service in which he held two senior ministerial positions under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He served first as Minister for Education before becoming Minister of Energy. His responsibilities therefore covered two major areas of national policy: education, human capital development and skills acquisition, and the generation and supply of electricity, energy security and the wider growth of Ghana’s energy industry.
Born on May 23, 1968, Dr Opoku Prempeh entered Parliament in 2008 after being elected on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He was re-elected in 2016, receiving 35,958 votes, or 87.17 per cent of the total valid votes cast in his constituency, according to details contained in the publication.
In May 2017, former President Akufo-Addo appointed him as one of 19 ministers in his first Cabinet. The nominations were submitted to Parliament and later made public by the then Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye.
His Cabinet role placed him among the President’s principal advisers on major policy issues and within the team responsible for coordinating government priorities.
As Education Minister, Dr Opoku Prempeh oversaw a sector linked to the development of skills and the preparation of young people for Ghana’s social and economic future. His subsequent move to the Energy Ministry gave him responsibility for another strategic area of national administration.
The African Regional Journal lists him in the Minister of Energy category alongside business leaders, public officials and heads of institutions from different parts of Africa.
According to the publication, the selection process considers developmental impact, governance, transparency and accountability, creativity and innovation. It also associates inspiring individuals with self-belief, confidence in others and the ability to encourage people to improve themselves and pursue greater achievements.
The journal’s recognition does not specify the particular projects or measurable outcomes that led to Dr Opoku Prempeh’s selection. Further information from the organisers would be needed to establish the precise reasons for his inclusion.
His appearance on the list places the former minister among personalities the African Regional Journal has chosen to recognise for their profiles and contributions across the continent.
