via yeboah was born on 27 july 1944 at her maternal family village in the eastern region, the daughter of kate oye ntow ofosu and eric perigrino nelson. she was educated at wesley girls high school before gaining her ba in french from the university of ghana. she then studied for a ma in french from the university of bordeaux in france, and a post-graduate diploma in education from the university of cape coast. she taught for fourteen years at girls schools in ghana, becoming headmistress of mfantsiman girls' secondary school, before being appointed a deputy secretary for education in 1985.