The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has declared the government’s plan to create a new public university in Kintampo, situated in the Bono East Region, with a focus on health, agriculture, and life sciences.
This proposed institution aims to benefit the wider Bono Region and play a crucial role in Ghana’s national agricultural development and food security strategy.
The announcement was made during the formal inauguration of the Governing Council of the S.D. Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies in Wa.
The Minister indicated that the Ministry of Education is nearing completion of a bill to be submitted to Parliament, which will establish the legal framework for the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences.
This university will emphasize agricultural innovation, life sciences, and rural development, with the primary objective of fostering sustainable development. Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the President’s dedication to ensuring that each of Ghana’s 16 regions has a public university.
He stated, ‘The government aspires for every region in Ghana to host a higher education institution. President Mahama envisions that each region will have an established university, and while we must start somewhere, we have made progress in this endeavor.’
He further noted, ‘One of the new universities for which I will present a bill in Parliament is the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences in Kintampo, aimed at serving the Bono Region. I plan to introduce the bill as soon as Parliament reconvenes.’
Additionally, the Minister revealed the government’s plan to restore the original names of certain public universities that were altered by the previous administration, aiming to reestablish the historical identities of these institutions and reaffirm their foundational missions.
The Minister addressed concerns raised by critics regarding the announcement of the universities’ name changes, stating, ‘Yes, the names will change; this is a policy decision made by the government, and we plan to present the bill to Parliament to reflect the historical names of these institutions.’
He emphasized that this decision does not diminish the recognition of the sacrifices and contributions of the individuals after whom the institutions were named.
He refrained from making a political statement about President Akufo-Addo’s involvement in naming universities he did not establish.
The Minister confirmed that the bill for the new university’s establishment and the proposed name changes will be submitted to Parliament as soon as it reconvenes.
