John Agyekum Kufuor

John Agyekum Kufuor governed Ghana through one of its steadiest stretches of democratic rule. Born in Kumasi in 1938 into Ashanti royal lineage and Oxford-educated in law, he spent years in politics and business before reaching the presidency, but it was his two terms from 2001 to 2009 that secured his place in history.

His government is remembered for pulling Ghana through debt relief and into a period of sustained growth, and for social programmes that outlived his tenure, among them the National Health Insurance Scheme and the school feeding programme. He handed power to an opposition winner in 2009, a peaceful transfer that burnished Ghana's democratic reputation.

Since leaving office he has served as an elder statesman at home and abroad, lending his name to development and governance causes across Africa. He remains one of the most respected figures Ghanaian politics has produced.