The Asante Kingdom is in a period of mourning following the passing of the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III. She was 98 years old. Her death was officially confirmed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, by the Oyoko Family during an emergency Asanteman Traditional Council meeting held on Monday.
Nana Konadu Yiadom III, born Nana Ama Konadu, was the 14th Asantehemaa and the biological sister of the current Asantehene. She ascended to the position five years ago after the death of her mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
The Asantehemaa was highly respected for her loyalty, strength, and devotion to tradition. She played a critical role in preserving Asante culture and was a constant source of guidance and support for her brother, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Her presence at the Manhyia Palace was seen as a symbol of stability and unity for both the royal family and the wider Asanteman.
While the details surrounding her death are limited, sources from the family indicate that Nana Konadu Yiadom III passed away on the morning of August 7, 2025. The Manhyia Palace is expected to make a formal public announcement and release details of the funeral arrangements once all traditional protocols and rites for a royal death have been completed.
The one-week observation of the passing of the passing of Nana Konadu Yiadom III is scheduled for Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Profile of Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III
Nana Konadu Yiadom III was born in 1927 at the Benyaade Shrine in Merdan, a small town in Kumasi Kwadaso, during the restoration of the Asante Confederacy. She was the daughter of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who reigned as Asantehemaa from 1977 to 2016, and Opanin Kofi Fofie, a carpenter from Besease, Kumasi.
At a very young age, she was separated from her mother and raised by her aunt, Nana Afia Konadu, in the Ashanti New Town suburb of Kumasi. Although she had no formal schooling, Nana Konadu Yiadom III received a rigorous informal education, which she used throughout her life. In her early teens, she underwent puberty rites alongside her niece, Nana Abena Ansa. She later married Opanin Kwame Boateng, a blacksmith from Aduman.
Described as a religious, kind-hearted, and humble woman, she was also known for her fairness and firm resolve. A prophecy in the mid-1990s by Kwaku Firi Bosomfo, the priest of Kwaku Firi, foretold that she would one day become the Asantehemaa, a prophecy that ultimately came to pass.
Her reign was marked by significant achievements and philanthropic work. She was recognized for her generosity, with the Saviour Church even naming a school after her, the Nana Konadu Saviour School. She was known for her ability to settle disputes with equity and fairness. During her fifth anniversary as Asantehemaa, she made a substantial donation to mothers at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Manhyia Government District Hospital, paying for all the medical bills and expenses for new mothers at the Mother-Baby Unit.
She also initiated an annual event to encourage breastfeeding and made a generous donation to the Mother-Baby Unit to support this cause.
