Ghana’s former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has died at the age of 76.

She was the widow of Ghana’s longest-serving leader, Jerry John Rawlings, who died five years ago.

He led two coups before twice being elected president in multiparty polls.

Social media is awash with tributes to the former first lady, who Ghanaian presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said had died after a short illness on Thursday morning.

As first lady, Mrs Agyeman-Rawlings founded the 31st December Women’s Movement – a women’s group named after the date of her husband’s second coup which took place in 1981.

The aim of the non-governmental organisation over the decades has been to empower women and teach them how to earn money to develop their communities.