Kow Abaka Essuman, former acting Secretary and Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (7 January 2017 to 7 January 2025), has completed the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Programme of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He was enrolled in the programme in 2023.
In a post on his X handle on Thursday, 4 September 2025, Kow Essuman wrote, “We came, we saw, and we completed the journey. I successfully finished my World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Programme after three insightful years. The network and connections I made are exceptional.”
Kow’s inclusion in this select group signalled his rising profile as a future leader from Africa with the potential to shape governance, law, and policy on the global stage. His experiences in Washington, Harvard, and Geneva have equipped him with the skills, perspectives, and networks to make meaningful contributions to conversations on governance, democracy, and leadership, both in Ghana and internationally.
As the YGL programme has shown through its alumni, today’s young leaders are tomorrow’s heads of state, cabinet ministers, and global influencers. Kow Abaka Essuman’s trajectory suggests he is firmly on that path, committed to using his knowledge, values, and networks to deliver leadership that has impact not only for his country but for the wider world.
YGL programme
As part of the three-year leadership development program, the 2023 YGLs had access to a range of executive education courses, learning journeys, and opportunities to collaborate with trusted peers, helping them achieve their goals and make a more significant impact on society.
The YGL programme is no ordinary leadership course. It is an intensive experience designed to shape the future stewards of government, business, and society.
For Kow Essuman, it began with the Washington, D.C. Learning Journey in 2024, themed Governing the Future, where he met and exchanged ideas with policymakers and governance experts in the American capital.
In March 2025, he attended the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Programme on Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century, gaining fresh insights into the complexities of governing in an interconnected world.
Class of 2023
The World Economic Forum announced on 14 March 2023 the induction of the newest members of its Young Global Leaders Class of 2023.
The 2023 cohort includes nearly 100 promising political leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, game-changing researchers, and visionary activists who are accelerating positive and lasting change in their communities, countries, and the world.
Mr Essuman made the list in the public figures category. Since its establishment in 2004, the Forum of Young Global Leaders has cultivated a diverse community of outstanding individuals addressing the world’s most pressing problems – today comprising over 1,400 members and alumni from more than 120 countries.
Notable YGL alumni
In a turbulent and polarised world, committed, conscientious, and inspired leaders are needed to create real-world change for the benefit of all.
YGLs have demonstrated their commitment to improving the state of the world by unlocking the potential of technology for the common good, unveiling a plan to revolutionise health services in rural and refugee communities, and galvanising private sector action on pollution.
YGLs are renowned for their groundbreaking contributions to dynamic and exciting fields. The alumni network reads like a roll call of global leadership: Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany; Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; and Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium.
Others are Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Finland; Alexander Stubb, President of Finland; Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s Foreign Minister; Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach of Ireland; Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy; Mark Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands; and Enrique Peña Nieto, former President of Mexico. From Africa, names like Oby Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s former Minister of Education and World Bank Vice President, underscore the global reach and impact of the YGL network.
About Kow Essuman
Kow Essuman is a lawyer of the highest calibre. He specialises in corporate and commercial litigation, as well as arbitration. He previously served as counsel to the President of Ghana.
He is licensed to practice law in England & Wales (2008), New York (2010), and Ghana (2011). He holds a Master of Laws degree with Honours in International Mergers and Acquisitions and Financial Institutions from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (2009).
He also holds a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from BPP Law School, London (2008), and is a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Westminster, London (2007), and was previously a Global Shaper at the Accra Hub.
