In a bid to avert a looming nationwide strike by tertiary education unions, the government has announced a significant increase in book and research allowances—from GH¢408 million to GH¢610 million—for the 2025 academic year.
The announcement, made by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu during the 22nd Biennial Conference of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, comes amid escalating tensions with lecturers and researchers over delays in disbursements.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), and Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) had all signalled their readiness to withdraw services if government failed to act swiftly on their demands.
“In the last few months, there was a threat and semblance of a strike in the name of book and research allowance,” Mr. Iddrisu acknowledged, adding that the government has now committed GH¢610 million to address the concern and that disbursement is already underway in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
The 50% increase is viewed as a critical step toward calming unrest in the tertiary education sector and reaffirming government’s commitment to academic research and professional development. However, union leaders are yet to confirm whether the new allocation and promised disbursement timelines are satisfactory enough to fully call off their strike plans.
Tertiary education unions have consistently argued that inadequate and delayed funding for research undermines academic output and the global competitiveness of Ghanaian institutions. The latest government response is being seen as a test of trust-building between the state and the academic workforce, who say they are tired of perennial budgetary delays and unmet commitments.
Observers note that the situation highlights broader concerns over the state’s long-term strategy for funding quality higher education in Ghana.
