Photos & Analysis: First Lady Lordina Mahama at OAFLAD’s 30th Assembly in Ethiopia

On February 14, 2026, Ghana’s First Lady, Her Excellency Lordina Dramani Mahama, participated in the pivotal 30th Ordinary Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event, held alongside the 39th African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, centered on the critical theme “Building Resilience.” This article provides a detailed, SEO-optimized overview of the assembly, its significance, the roles of the first ladies, and the broader implications for continental development strategies.

Introduction: A Convergence of Leadership for Africa’s Future

The participation of African first ladies in high-level continental forums represents a unique and powerful diplomatic and developmental channel. On a significant day in mid-February 2026, this channel was prominently activated as Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Dramani Mahama, joined her counterparts from across Africa for the 30th Ordinary Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD). The venue was the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the political hub of the African Union (AU), during the margins of the AU’s 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

This assembly was not a ceremonial gathering but a focused working session addressing a theme of profound urgency: “Building Resilience.” The discussions aimed to formulate strategies for strengthening African communities against a backdrop of complex, multinational challenges. Mrs. Mahama, a recognized advocate for specific causes, was scheduled to deliver an address, highlighting Ghana’s perspectives and initiatives within this continental framework. This event underscores the evolving role of first ladies as substantive partners in shaping Africa’s development agenda, leveraging their platforms to influence policy and mobilize action on gender, health, and socio-economic issues.

Key Points: Quick Overview of the OAFLAD Assembly

• Event: 30th Ordinary Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
• Date: February 14-15, 2026 (Two-day event).
• Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the AU Headquarters.
• Context: Held on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
• Theme: “Building Resilience” – focusing on fortifying communities against multifaceted challenges.
• Format: Included a closed-door session for first ladies and technical advisors before the official opening.
• Key Participant: Ghana’s First Lady, Her Excellency Lordina Dramani Mahama.
• Role: Mrs. Mahama was scheduled to address the assembly on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
• Focus Areas: Aligns with OAFLAD’s core mandates of women’s empowerment, children’s welfare, and community development.

Background: Understanding OAFLAD and the AU Assembly Context

The Genesis and Mission of OAFLAD

The Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation established in 2002 during the African Union Summit in South Africa. It was founded by a group of visionary first ladies who recognized the need for a collective, continent-wide platform to advocate for and implement programs addressing critical social issues. OAFLAD’s mission is to “promote the role of African First Ladies as catalysts for change and advocates for the advancement of women, children, and vulnerable groups across the continent.”

Over its 30 assemblies, OAFLAD has evolved from a symbolic group into a strategic partner of the African Union and various UN agencies. Its work is structured around key pillars, including:

• Maternal and Child Health: Campaigns against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and for immunization.
• Women’s Economic Empowerment: Initiatives promoting financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and access to education.
• Education for Girls: Advocacy to keep the girl child in school and eliminate harmful practices.
• Nutrition and Food Security: Addressing malnutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The organization’s secretariat is based in Addis Ababa, facilitating its close collaboration with AU institutions. Each ordinary assembly serves as a crucial decision-making forum where first ladies review past initiatives, set new thematic priorities, and adopt joint communiqués that are presented to the AU Assembly of Heads of State.

The African Union Assembly: A Parallel Summit

The 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union is the AU’s supreme decision-making body, meeting twice a year in Addis Ababa. It sets the continent’s political and economic agenda, approves policies, and elects AU officials. The theme for the 2026 AU Assembly, while separate, often informs the thematic discussions of associated events like the OAFLAD meeting. The convergence of these two assemblies—one of state leaders and one of their spouses—creates a synergistic environment for cross-sectoral dialogue, allowing the advocacy of OAFLAD to potentially gain direct traction at the highest levels of political leadership.

Analysis: The Significance of “Building Resilience”

The choice of the theme “Building Resilience” for the 30th OAFLAD Assembly is a direct response to the cascading crises facing Africa. It reflects a shift from solely addressing specific vulnerabilities to fostering systemic, community-level robustness. This analysis dissects the multi-layered meaning of the theme and its implications.

Defining Resilience in an African Development Context

In development discourse, resilience refers to “the capacity of individuals, communities, and systems to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses without compromising long-term development prospects.” For OAFLAD, applying this to African communities means building capacities that can withstand:

• Health Shocks: As demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recurring epidemics, health system fragility directly impacts maternal and child mortality.
• Climate and Environmental Stress: Droughts, floods, and land degradation disproportionately affect women and rural communities, threatening food security.
• Economic Volatility: Global economic downturns, inflation, and debt crises erode household incomes, increasing poverty and gender-based inequalities.
• Socio-Political Instability: Conflicts and displacement disrupt social services and community cohesion.

A “resilience” focus, therefore, integrates disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, social protection floors, and economic diversification into OAFLAD’s traditional health and gender advocacy.

Geopolitical and Strategic Implications

Holding the assembly in Addis Ababa during the AU Summit is a strategic move. It ensures that the first ladies’ communiqué and advocacy messages are delivered in the immediate vicinity of the continent’s top policymakers. This positioning allows OAFLAD to:

1. Leverage Political Will: Encourage heads of state to integrate resilience-building, with a gendered lens, into national AU agenda implementations.
2. Forge Partnerships: The margins of the AU Summit attract international donors, UN agencies, and NGOs. The OAFLAD meeting serves as a targeted networking platform to secure funding and technical support for resilience projects.
3. Amplify Advocacy: Joint statements from 40+ first ladies carry significant moral and media weight, spotlighting issues that might be overlooked in state-level negotiations.

For Ghana, represented by Mrs. Mahama, participation signals the country’s commitment to continental solidarity on these issues and provides a platform to showcase national successes, such as Ghana’s community-based health planning and services (CHPS) or its National Social Protection Strategy, as models for resilience-building.

The Specific Role and Profile of First Lady Lordina Dramani Mahama

Her Excellency Lordina Dramani Mahama brings a well-defined advocacy portfolio to this forum. As a former First Lady (2012-2017) and now in her second tenure (following her husband’s re-election), her work has consistently focused on:

• Women’s Empowerment & Microfinance: She has championed initiatives providing small loans and financial literacy training to women entrepreneurs, directly linking economic resilience to household stability.
• Children’s Welfare and Education: Her foundation’s work includes supporting orphaned and vulnerable children and advocating for quality basic education.
• Health Advocacy: She has been a prominent voice for cervical cancer screening and prevention, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS awareness in Ghana.

Her scheduled address at the OAFLAD assembly was an opportunity to frame these national initiatives within the “Building Resilience” theme, potentially advocating for continent-wide collaboration on financial inclusion models or integrated child health programs. Her long-standing involvement with OAFLAD also lends her credibility and experience to the deliberations.

Practical Advice: How to Engage with and Support Such Initiatives

While the OAFLAD Assembly is an elite diplomatic event, its outcomes trickle down to national and community-level programs. Citizens, civil society, and private sector actors can engage with and support the resilience agenda championed by such bodies through concrete actions:

For Individuals and Communities

• Stay Informed: Follow official OAFLAD and AU communications for updates on adopted resolutions and action plans. Understanding the priorities (e.g., climate-resilient agriculture, girl child education) allows for informed local advocacy.
• Support Local NGOs: Many resilience-building projects are implemented by grassroots organizations. Donating to or volunteering with NGOs working on women’s economic empowerment, climate-smart farming, or child health aligns directly with OAFLAD’s goals.
• Promote Financial Literacy: Resilience starts at the household level. Engaging in or promoting community-based savings and loan associations (CSLAs) mirrors the microfinance models often advocated by first ladies.

For Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)

• Hold Leaders Accountable: Use the OAFLAD communiqué as a benchmark to advocate with national governments for policies and budgets that fund resilience programs, particularly those targeting women and children.
• Collaborate on Data: Resilience requires evidence. CSOs can contribute to monitoring and evaluation by collecting community-level data on vulnerabilities and the impact of interventions, feeding this into national and continental reports.
• Amplify Marginalized Voices: Ensure that the “community” in “building resilient communities” includes the most vulnerable—rural women, persons with disabilities, and youth. Bring their perspectives to policy dialogues.

For the Private Sector and Development Partners

• Align Investments: Direct corporate social responsibility (CSR) and development funding towards programs that build systemic resilience—e.g., investing in renewable energy for health clinics, drought-resistant crop seeds, or digital platforms for women’s market access.
• Form Public-Private Partnerships: Engage with OAFLAD national chapters or ministries of gender/children to co-design and co-fund sustainable projects that leverage private sector efficiency and public sector reach.
• Integrate Gender and Social Inclusion: Ensure all resilience-focused investments have clear components for women’s leadership and benefit-sharing to avoid exacerbating inequalities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the full form of OAFLAD and when was it founded?

OAFLAD stands for the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development. It was founded in 2002 during the African Union Summit in Durban, South Africa, by a group of African first ladies committed to a continental advocacy platform.

What is the difference between the OAFLAD Assembly and the African Union Assembly?

The AU Assembly is the official decision-making body of the African Union, comprising all 55 heads of state and government. It sets the union’s political and economic policies. The OAFLAD Assembly is a parallel, non-governmental forum for the spouses of these leaders. It focuses on advocacy and programmatic initiatives in social sectors, particularly for women, children, and vulnerable groups. The OAFLAD Assembly often adopts a communiqué to present to the AU Assembly, seeking its endorsement and integration into the continental agenda.

Why is the theme “Building Resilience” important for Africa now?

Africa faces interconnected “polycrises”: climate change impacts (droughts, floods), post-pandemic economic recovery, global supply chain disruptions, and ongoing conflicts in several regions. These shocks disproportionately harm women and children. A resilience approach moves beyond reactive disaster response to proactively strengthening health systems, food security, social safety nets, and local economies so communities can withstand and adapt to future shocks. It is a foundational requirement for achieving the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.

What specific actions can be expected from this 30th Assembly?

While the closed-door sessions’ specifics are not public, typical outputs from an OAFLAD assembly include: 1) A final communiqué outlining agreed-upon calls to action for member states and the AU on the theme of resilience. 2) Launch or endorsement of new initiatives, such as a continental campaign on nutrition or a fund for girls’ education in crisis settings. 3) Bilateral partnership announcements between first ladies’ offices and international organizations (like UNICEF, UN Women, or the World Bank). 4) A work plan for the OAFLAD secretariat for the next year.

How does Ghana’s First Lady’s work align with OAFLAD’s goals?

Her Excellency Lordina Mahama’s long-standing focus on women’s economic empowerment through microfinance, children’s welfare and education, and health advocacy (especially cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS) directly mirrors OAFLAD’s core pillars. Her participation allows Ghana to contribute practical, on-the-ground experience to the continental resilience dialogue, particularly on