Asantehemaa was a Pillar of Unity and Development – Federation of Kumasi Traders
The Federation of Kumasi Traders is mourning the passing of the Asantehemaa, Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III, describing her as a pillar of unity and development.
In a statement signed by its President, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, the federation extended deep condolences to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the entire Asante Kingdom.
“We acknowledge her invaluable contribution to the development of Asanteman and her role in fostering unity and development within Asanteman,” the statement read.
The traders expressed the deep void her death leaves in the hearts of many, pledging to honour her legacy by continuing to uphold the values she championed — values that, they said, ensured the prosperity of traders and the broader Asante community.
“In this time of mourning, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold the traditions and customs of the great Asante Kingdom,” the statement added.
Asantehemaa passed away on August 7, 2025.
One-week observation
The Manhyia Palace has scheduled Thursday, August 21, 2025, for the one-week observation of the late Nana Konadu Yiadom III, the Asantehemaa and sister of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The date was confirmed by the Asantehene on August 11, 2025, during a meeting of the Asanteman Council, where chiefs and elders were formally informed of her passing.
About Asantehemaa
Born in 1927 at the Benyaade Shrine in Meredane, a small town in Kwadaso, Kumasi, Nana Konadu Yiadom III was the first daughter of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II and Opanin Kofi Fofie. Entrusted to her aunt, Nana Afia Konadu, while still an infant, she grew up in Ashanti New Town, Kumasi, receiving a rich informal education that instilled discipline, cultural knowledge, and life skills.
As a teenager, she underwent traditional puberty rites alongside her niece, Nana Abena Ansa, and later married Opanin Kwame Boateng, a blacksmith from Aduman in Kumasi. She was known for her humility, compassion, and sense of fairness, traits that earned her respect across Asanteman.
In the mid-1990s, a prophecy foretold her future as Queen, a prediction fulfilled when she ascended the Nyarko Kusiamoah and Konadu Yiadom Stool on February 6, 2017, becoming the fourteenth Asantehemaa.
Her reign was marked by advocacy for maternal health, promotion of breastfeeding, and support for hospitals, as well as initiatives to preserve peace and unity in the Kingdom.
Story by Adwoa S. Danso
