Transparency, Merit to Guide Ghana Scholarships – Haruna Iddrisu

  

The Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has charged the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the Ghana Scholarship Authority to administer scholarships strictly on the principles of merit, genuine need, national development priorities, and transparency.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held in Accra, the Minister said the establishment of the Authority fulfills a major campaign promise made by President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2024 general elections to end cronyism and abuse in the award of government scholarships.
He noted that in the past, public office holders and politically connected individuals often took undue advantage of scholarship schemes at the expense of needy but brilliant students, a practice he described as unacceptable and contrary to good governance.
“This will no longer be an individual decision where someone simply decides to award a scholarship to a son, cousin, or politically connected person who already has the means,” Mr. Iddrisu stressed. “Scholarships must be guided strictly by merit, need, and national development priorities.”
The Minister expressed confidence in the integrity and competence of the Board, chaired by Mr. Samuel Garba, stating that scholarships in Ghana must now reflect fairness and national interest. He added that emerging global needs such as artificial intelligence and critical skills development should inform future scholarship awards.
Mr. Iddrisu also emphasized the importance of transparency, urging the Authority to publish the names of scholarship beneficiaries and the justification for each award. “This is the era of transparency. Let the public know who has been awarded scholarships and why,” he said.
Addressing challenges facing higher education, the Minister called on universities to reform their training approaches to better align with the needs of industry and the private sector, noting concerns about graduate unemployment despite academic excellence.
On funding, the Education Minister disclosed that the Ghana Scholarship Authority currently carries a debt of approximately US$834 million. He reiterated his proposal for dedicated funding through petroleum royalty revenues to ensure sustainability and hinted at possible future reforms to merge scholarship administration with student loan schemes.
Earlier, Board Chairman Mr. Samuel Garba expressed gratitude to President Mahama and the Education Minister for the confidence reposed in the Council, describing the Board as a multidisciplinary body equipped to reform scholarship administration.
However, Mr. Garba warned that without adequate and reliable funding, the Authority would struggle to meet expectations, particularly in supporting students studying abroad. He stressed that delays in tuition and stipend payments expose Ghanaian students overseas to hardship and undermine the credibility of the scholarship system.
“Sending students abroad without funding their tuition and stipends is harmful,” he said, urging the Ministry of Finance to prioritize investment in human capital development.
Mr. Garba assured the government and the public that the Board would operate ethically and diligently to ensure scholarships contribute meaningfully to national development.