The Asante Kingdom has been plunged into deep mourning following the death of the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, the revered Queen Mother and second most powerful figure in Asanteman.
Her passing was formally communicated by the Oyoko Royal Family to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, during an emergency Asanteman Traditional Council meeting on Monday. The announcement was met with solemn reflection as the Kingdom came to terms with the loss of a figure whose life was steeped in tradition, service, and compassion.
A life rooted in tradition
Nana Konadu Yiadom III was born in 1927 at the Benyaade Shrine in Merdan, a small town in Kwadaso, Kumasi, during the era of the restoration of the Asante Confederacy. She was christened Nana Ama Konadu and affectionately called “Nana Panin” or “Naa Panin.”
Her lineage was deeply royal — the daughter of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, Asantehemaa from 1977 to 2016, and Opanin Kofi Fofie, a carpenter from Besease near Atimatim in Kumasi.
At just over a year old, she was separated from her biological mother and raised by her aunt, Nana Afia Konadu, in Ashanti New Town (Ash-Town).
Despite not receiving formal education, she underwent a rigorous informal education in traditional knowledge, values, and responsibilities.
She participated in puberty rites alongside her niece, Nana Abena Ansa, and later married Opanin Kwame Boateng, a blacksmith from Aduman in Kumasi.
Known for her calm, humble, and accommodating nature, she was also firm, hardworking, and deeply religious.
Prophecy fulfilled
In the mid-1990s, Kwaku Firi Bosomfo, through the Asantehene’s Senior Linguist, Baffour Akoto, prophesied that Nana Ama Konadu would one day ascend to the Asantehemaa stool — a prophecy that was fulfilled on February 6, 2017, when she became the 14th Asantehemaa, succeeding her late mother.
During her reign, she was celebrated for her fairness and equity in settling disputes, earning respect across the Kingdom. Her charitable works, particularly in maternal and child health, left a lasting impact on many communities.
Champion for mothers and children
Nana Konadu Yiadom III’s compassion for mothers and newborns was unmatched. On her 5th anniversary as Asantehemaa, she made substantial donations to the Mother-Baby Unit (MBU), Pediatric Emergency Care Unit (PICU), and Pediatric Emergency Unit (PEU) of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, as well as the Manhyia Government District Hospital. She paid the medical bills of all new mothers at these facilities, lifting financial burdens and offering hope.
She also initiated a vigorous campaign to promote breastfeeding, instituting an annual event to encourage mothers to nurture their children naturally. Her contributions earned her recognition from religious institutions, including the Saviour Church, which named the Nana Konadu Saviour School in her honour.
End of an era
Her passing marks the end of a reign that combined traditional authority with a modern sense of social responsibility.
To Asanteman, she was more than a queen mother — she was a symbol of justice, a mother to the vulnerable, and a custodian of Asante values.
Details of her funeral arrangements will be announced by the Asanteman Traditional Council in due course, but for now, the Kingdom unites in mourning a matriarch whose life embodied service, equity, and love for her people.
