President John Dramani Mahama has described education as Ghana’s most enduring investment, outlining a tertiary education policy anchored on access, quality and relevance.

Speaking at the 18th Special Congregation of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Tarkwa on Saturday, January 31, 2026, the president highlighted a range of government interventions aimed at expanding access and promoting equity across the tertiary education sector. These include the no-guarantor student loan scheme, the no-fee stress policy for first-year students in public tertiary institutions, free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, and the Student Loan Plus programme, which supports continuing students.

According to President Mahama, the initiatives are deliberately designed to democratise opportunities and ensure that no qualified Ghanaian is denied higher education because of financial hardship or structural barriers.

He stressed, however, that access alone is not sufficient, noting that the true measure of a strong tertiary education system lies in the quality of outcomes and their relevance to national and global needs. In this regard, he said government is scaling up investment in STEM education, technical and vocational training, research, innovation, and the digital transformation of teaching and learning.

“Our universities must produce graduates who are academically sound, innovative, adaptable and ethically grounded, capable of solving real-world problems,” the president said.

He added that government’s ambitions in mineral value addition, the green transition, advanced manufacturing and industrial diversification depend heavily on the quality of skills, research and applied knowledge generated by specialised institutions such as UMaT.

President Mahama further outlined plans to strengthen university–industry linkages, promote the commercialisation of research, establish innovation hubs and centres of excellence, and invest in modern laboratories and research infrastructure. These measures, he said, would position Ghanaian universities as contributors to global knowledge while remaining firmly rooted in addressing local development challenges.

The President also underscored the importance of youth empowerment, noting that education would only deliver a demographic dividend if young people are equipped with relevant skills, entrepreneurial capacity and a strong work ethic. He cited programmes such as the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme and other youth-focused initiatives aimed at nurturing graduates as job creators and solution providers, rather than job seekers.