Nana Konadu Yiadom III, the late Queen Mother of the Asante Kingdom, was born in 1927 during a pivotal moment in the restoration of Asante political authority.
Known at birth as Nana Ama Konadu and affectionately called Nana Panin, she entered the world at the Benyaade Shrine in Merdan, Kwadaso, Kumasi.
She was the daughter of the late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, Asantehemaa from 1977 to 2016, and Opanin Kofi Fofie, a carpenter from Besease near Atimatim. Though separated from her mother in infancy, she was raised by her maternal aunt, Nana Afia Konadu, in Ashanti New Town. She was also the sister of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current Asantehene.
Without formal schooling, Nana Konadu was trained through traditional rites and cultural immersion, gaining deep knowledge of womanhood, domestic leadership, and Asante customs. She underwent puberty rites (bragro) in her teens alongside her niece Nana Abena Ansa. She later married Opanin Kwame Boateng, a blacksmith from Aduman, living a life defined by humility, generosity, and family values.
In the 1990s, a prophecy by spiritual priest Kwaku Firi Bosomfo, delivered through senior linguist Baffour Akoto, foretold that she would one day become Queen Mother. That vision came to pass after her mother’s death in 2016. On February 6, 2017, she was enstooled as the 14th Asantehemaa.
Her reign was marked by quiet but far-reaching influence. Beyond her ceremonial role, she nominated the Asantehene, advised the royal court, safeguarded matrilineal heritage, and mediated disputes with fairness and wisdom. She was also a champion of women’s health and child welfare, funding medical care for new mothers, supporting hospital units in Kumasi, and promoting breastfeeding through annual campaigns. Her contributions were recognised when the Saviour Church named a school in her honour.
Nana Konadu Yiadom III’s life embodied service, compassion, and tradition. At the Manhyia Palace, her presence was a symbol of stability, moral authority, and the enduring power of the Queen Mother in Asante society.
