The Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, has expressed his concerns regarding the increasing dependence on fee-paying programs within Ghana’s public universities. He cautioned that this trend poses a significant threat to access to higher education for students hailing from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds.
During his remarks at the 7th Congregation of Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University, where the first female Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Eng.) Hamidatu Darimani was inaugurated on Saturday, December 13, 2025. Prof. Jinapor indicated that evidence gathered by GTEC suggests that programs that were traditionally fully subsidized are increasingly being transformed into fee-paying programs, in some cases entirely.
He warned that this development could place an excessive burden on both parents and students, thereby undermining equity in tertiary education.
“Two wrongs do not make a right. If government support is insufficient, the appropriate response is to engage with the government to address the issue. We cannot transfer the burden to parents and students who are already under significant pressure,” he remarked, highlighting the necessity for equitable and balanced policies.
Prof. Jinapor also mentioned that GTEC would not hesitate to issue directives if it becomes necessary to rectify the situation.
Providing specific instances, he noted that certain admission letters from the University of Ghana reveal that programs such as Information Studies, Archaeology, and even Medicine have transitioned to fee-paying status.
He pointed out that gaining access to Medicine, in particular, has become exceedingly challenging without opting for fee-paying slots.
“Historically, fee-paying options were restricted to distance, weekend, and sandwich programs designed for working professionals. Currently, the available quota is very limited and must be adequately justified. Students achieving aggregates between 6 and 10 should not be required to pay fees, as many of them originate from privileged educational institutions,” he stated.
He underscored that students from underprivileged communities should not be compelled to bear the costs associated with public tertiary education.
The Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University, Prof. Hamidatu Darimani, announced that a total of 723 students graduated from four faculties and schools.
This figure included 153 Bachelor of Technology (BTech) graduates and 570 Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates.
She urged the government to provide seed funding to aid the university’s development initiatives, stating that this would enhance infrastructure, particularly the completion of student hostels.
Prof. Darimani revealed that a 400-bed hostel project is currently underway, following a recent sod-cutting ceremony organized by the government and GTEC.
She conveyed her hope that by the conclusion of her tenure, the university would have renovated existing facilities, improved the campus’s aesthetics, completed a perimeter wall, and increased student enrollment in each faculty by at least 50 percent.
