Ghana’s Youth Development and Empowerment Minister, George Opare Addo, has outlined bold plans to overhaul the country’s scholarship regime, shifting the focus from political patronage to merit and need, while keeping scholarship funding within Ghana’s education system.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, the Minister said the newly proposed Scholarship Bill—currently before Parliament—is designed to streamline scholarship administration, tackle systemic abuse, and promote local institutions over expensive foreign education.
“For too long, scholarships in Ghana have been handed out based on connections rather than merit,” Mr. Opare Addo said. “We need a system that is fair, efficient, and prioritises brilliant but needy students—not one that behaves like a market transaction.”
He referenced investigative findings by The Fourth Estate which revealed widespread irregularities in scholarship awards, including instances where financial support went to well-connected individuals studying courses available locally—at great cost to the state.
“Scholarships were being distributed like tomatoes in the market,” he remarked. “That is what we are correcting.”
The Minister, who chairs the committee driving the reform, explained that the bill will establish a centralised scholarship authority backed by law—eliminating the current fragmented system where GNPC, GETFund, and the Scholarship Secretariat all run separate schemes.
“It is improper for a petroleum-focused entity like GNPC to be distributing scholarships when there is no legal mandate to do so,” he stated. “We are proposing a unified system where all state-funded scholarships are managed by a single legal body.”
A key provision in the bill, according to Mr. Opare Addo, is a ban on state-sponsored scholarships for courses already being offered in Ghana’s universities, such as Business Administration.
“If the University of Ghana Business School is among the best in West Africa, why should we spend scarce resources sending someone abroad for the same degree?” he queried.
He further warned that continuing such practices implies a lack of faith in Ghanaian academic institutions—a sentiment he described as “defeatist.”
The new bill, he said, will not only promote local universities like UG, KNUST, and UCC but will also extend support to outstanding private universities such as Ashesi, if they offer unique programs not available in the public system.
“Supporting institutions like Ashesi, which offer cutting-edge courses, keeps the funds in Ghana, strengthens our economy, and supports local entrepreneurship,” he explained.
He also pointed to the financial wisdom of investing locally. “One of the major challenges affecting our economy is foreign exchange. Why are we paying fees in dollars abroad when we can invest in Ghana and keep the money circulating within?”
Mr. Opare Addo confirmed that once the bill passes, scholarship administration will fall under the Education Ministry. “The Secretariat currently sits under my Ministry, but this is an educational matter. It must be managed as such.”
If passed, the bill is expected to introduce clear eligibility criteria, transparent application processes, and a merit-based selection framework—marking the most significant reform of Ghana’s scholarship system since independence.
