Youth in Diplomacy: Meet Benjamin Quashie, the Next Generation of Ghana Envoys
At just 43 years old, Benjamin Kofi Quashie is Ghana’s youngest High Commissioner to South Africa, a first in the country’s history that heralds a new generation of Ghana’s diplomatic corps.
Commissioned by President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House on October 2, Ben Quashie’s appointment is seen as part of a broader attempt at introducing youthful energy, creativity and modernity into Ghana’s foreign service.
Born on May 1, 1982, Ben Quashie’s journey to the diplomatic front is anything but conventional. From politics to charity, he has carved a niche as an energetic leader with global exposure and a zeal for national growth.
Before his appointment, he was Chairman of the Council of Elders of the South Africa branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), where he spearheaded party diaspora structures unification and mobilized political participation among Ghanaians in the diaspora. His leadership goes beyond politics. At the BKQ Foundation, he spearheaded many youth empowerment and philanthropic programs that have benefited hundreds of individuals.
His sterling academic credentials, having received his degrees from Harvard Business School, London School of Economics, and the University of Cumbria, are testament to his readiness to compete on the world stage.
His nomination is seen by many as a deliberate effort by President Mahama to enable youthful leadership within Ghana’s governance system.
As Ghana’s senior representative in South Africa, he is also expected to strengthen diplomatic, trade and diaspora ties between South Africa and Ghana and become a new image of Ghanaian diplomacy based on youth, inclusiveness and visionary leadership.
This achievement makes Benjamin Kofi Quashie a living proof that being youth is not a hindrance but a driver of a new Ghanaian diplomacy.
