Lieutenant General Ben Akafia was a Ghanaian military officer. He was the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from October 1996 to February 2001. He was Ghana's ambassador to Egypt.

He attended the Keta Secondary School and was enlisted into the Ghana Military Academy, Teshie in 1961. He was selected for further cadet training at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, India. He also obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in War Studies from the National War College in Delhi, India.

He succeeded Air Marshal Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie and handed over to Lieutenant General Seth Kofi Obeng. He was Ghana's ambassador to Egypt.

Ben Akafia was on 6 January 2001 awarded the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Star of Ghana (MSG) by the President of Ghana and a Certificate in Management and is a member of the British Institute of Management.

On September 14 1963, he was commissioned into the Ghana Army. He served as Platoon Commander, through Adjunct, to Company Commander and ended up as a Battalion Commander.

Ben Akafia also served as Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School from 1983 to 1985 and was the Chief Instructor and Second-in-Command, and later Commanding Officer of the Jungle Warfare School between 1975 and 1977. He served as a Directing Staff at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

Senior Staff Appointments

Director-General (Personnel Administration

Director-General (Logistics)

Director (Military Operations)

Director-General (Joint Operations and Plans)

Staff, General Headquarters.

Ben Akafia also served from 1977 to 1979 as the Deputy Defence Adviser to the Ghana High Commission in Pakistan.

In 1990, he was appointed Army Commander for six years and was subsequently appointed Chief of the Defence Staff (Ghana) (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces in 1996.

He retired on March 22nd 2001 and was appointed Ghana's Ambassador to Egypt thereafter.

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