• Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa spoke with Jason Arday’s mother, Gifty Arday, to convey President Mahama’s condolences.

• Ablakwa said Ghana will be represented at Prof. Arday’s funeral to honour the late Cambridge academic.

• Arday, 41, died after being found unresponsive at his London home; a coroner has opened an inquest, while no official cause of death has been established

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has conveyed President John Mahama’s condolences to the family of the late Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, assuring his mother that Ghana will be present at his funeral to pay its respects.

Ablakwa disclosed that he spoke by phone with Prof. Arday’s mother, Mrs Gifty Arday, to express his condolences following the death of her son, who made history as the youngest Black professor appointed by the University of Cambridge.

In a post on X, Ablakwa said he informed Mrs Arday that President Mahama was deeply saddened by the loss and had personally signed a letter of condolence, which was being delivered to the family through Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

“Prof. Arday was a great source of pride and inspiration to Ghanaians in his ancestral home, and many across the world,” Ablakwa wrote.

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He described the death as a collective and painful loss and said Ghana would continue to keep Prof. Arday’s family, students and loved ones in its thoughts and prayers.

“As I assured Mrs. Arday in our solemn telephone conversation, Ghana will be present at his funeral to pay our respects,” he added.

Ablakwa also expressed hope that Prof. Arday’s legacy would continue to inspire efforts towards creating a fairer, more loving and just world.

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Prof. Arday was a British-born academic of Ghanaian heritage whose remarkable educational journey took him from significant childhood developmental challenges to one of the most prestigious academic positions in the world.

Born to Ghanaian parents in south London, Arday reportedly did not speak until he was 11 and did not learn to read and write until he was 18.

He went on to pursue higher education, eventually earning a PhD and building an academic career focused on sociology, education, race, inequality and social justice.

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In March 2023, he was appointed Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge. At 37, the appointment made him the youngest Black professor ever appointed by the university at the time. He was also a Fellow of Jesus College.

His journey became a source of inspiration because of the obstacles he overcame before reaching the highest levels of academia.

Prof. Arday’s death came after a period of intense public scrutiny over allegations concerning plagiarism and inconsistencies in some accounts of his academic career and achievements.

He denied the plagiarism allegations and acknowledged errors in some of his work. His resignation from Cambridge came on August 5, 2026, after the controversy and public scrutiny had intensified.

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Importantly, an investigation by Liverpool John Moores University into his PhD was reported to have upheld its decision to award him the doctorate earlier this year.

In his resignation statement, Prof. Arday said the “relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary” had taken a profound toll on him and those he loved. His family also criticised what they described as a campaign of misinformation and harassment.

Prof. Arday, 41, was found unresponsive by family members at his home in Battersea, south London, on August 14.

Emergency services attended the property, but despite resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Metropolitan Police said the death was unexpected but that the scene was not suspicious. However, a coroner subsequently opened an inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death. The inquest was adjourned to a later date.

No official cause of death has been established in the reports available so far.

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For Ghana, Prof. Arday’s death represents the loss of a prominent member of the Ghanaian diaspora whose achievements attracted international attention.

His historic Cambridge appointment, academic work and personal journey made him an inspirational figure for many young people, particularly those from backgrounds where educational and social barriers can make academic success more difficult.

As the family prepares to bid farewell to the renowned academic, Ablakwa’s assurance that Ghana will be represented at his funeral signals the country’s intention to honour a man whose life and achievements extended far beyond the university where he made history.