John Kufuor received the award last night as part of the first ever Wilberforce World Freedom Summit, taking place at Hull University.

The director of the Wilberforce Institute, Professor John Oldfield in an address praised Kufuor for his huge contribution to putting Ghana on the map, politically and socially during his eight-year tenure as President.

He said: "He's a remarkable figure, he's made a huge contribution to really putting Ghana on the map, politically and socially, but raising it's profile as a centre of democracy and good governance as well as an important part of the United Nations."

The Wilberforce World Freedom Summit is hosted and organised by the University of Hull’s Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation under the theme: Eradicating Contemporary Slavery.

Proceedings focus on contemporary slavery in its many different forms in the UK and around the world and also address policies designed to bring about its eventual eradication.

Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt. Hon. Baroness Scotland, the UK’s Independent Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, and Humberside’s newly-appointed Chief Constable Lee Freeman are among a host of high level speakers.

Other key speakers include Aidan McQuade, Director of anti-slavery campaign Chief Executive of the Freedom Fund – the ?rst private sector founder of anti-slavery initiatives – and Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Executive of children’s charity Retrak and former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester.