Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has joined the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asanteman Council, and the people of Asanteman in mourning the passing of Asantehemaa Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III, who died on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
In a heartfelt tribute posted on Facebook, Dr. Bawumia described the late Queen Mother as “an enduring symbol of unity, grace, and candour” throughout her reign.
“Her sense of compassion and open arms received many, of whom I am proud to have been part. Her words of encouragement and counsel, just as her prayers, have been a source of strength for me. We have lost a mother, not just the queen mother. Ohemaa Konadu Yiadom, Due. Asanteman Damirifa Due,” he wrote.
The Asantehene officially announced her passing on Monday, August 11, during an Asanteman Council meeting at the Manhyia Palace. Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III served as the 14th Asantehemaa for eight years, having been enstooled on February 6, 2016.
Born in 1927 at the Benyaade Shrine in Merdan, Kumasi, she was the daughter of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, Asantehemaa from 1977 to 2016, and Opanin Kofi Fofie, a carpenter from Besease near Atimatim. She spent her early years under the care of her aunt in Ashanti New Town and, though she never had formal education, she received rigorous informal training that shaped her wisdom and leadership.
Before ascending the stool, Nanahemaa lived a humble yet impactful life. She married Opanin Kwame Boateng, a blacksmith from Aduman, and was known for her religious devotion, kindness, fairness, and ability to resolve disputes amicably.
In the mid-1990s, a prophecy by Kwaku Firi Bosomfo, delivered through Baffour Akoto, a Senior Linguist of the Asantehene, foretold that she would one day become Queen Mother of Asante — a vision that became reality two decades later.
Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III was celebrated for her philanthropic work, especially in maternal and child health. She championed breastfeeding awareness, initiated annual campaigns to support new mothers, and made substantial donations to the Mother-Baby Unit, Pediatric Emergency Care Unit, and Pediatric Emergency Unit at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Manhyia Government District Hospital. She also settled medical bills for mothers in need and supported education through initiatives such as the Nana Konadu Saviour School.
Her legacy, marked by compassion, fairness, and dedication to her people, leaves a lasting imprint on Asanteman and beyond.