President John Mahama has unveiled the Ghana National Research Fund with an initial allocation of GH¢50 million, describing it as a major step toward boosting innovation across science, technology, humanities, and the arts.
Speaking at his maiden Media Encounter on Wednesday, September 10, Mahama said the initiative will help Ghana claim ownership of the knowledge produced by its academics. “With this fund, we’ll slowly but certainly reverse that narrative by empowering our own researchers and ensuring that Ghana owns the knowledge and innovations produced by its intellectuals,” he stated.
For decades, Mahama noted, most academic research in Ghana has been financed by foreign institutions, often resulting in intellectual property being owned abroad. The new fund aims to change that.
As part of the initiative, the government will also provide full scholarships to five PhD candidates annually at every university in Ghana. “By investing in our thinkers, we are investing in our future and asserting our intellectual sovereignty,” the President said.
He further linked the research fund to broader educational reforms and technology investments. Among these is the 1 Million Coders Programme, which he described as laying the groundwork for a “digital Ghana.” Mahama said these moves form part of “a clear, deliberate national reset that is restoring hope, creating opportunity and ushering in an era of shared prosperity for all.”
On access to tertiary education, Mahama highlighted the No-Fee Stress Policy launched three months ago, which refunded fees to 120,000 first-year students in public universities. “It signalled a decisive break from the painful era when dreams of brilliant but vulnerable young Ghanaians were cut short simply because they could not afford to pay fees,” he said.
The President added that the policy is connected to a Student Loan Plus Programme, designed to provide flexible financing for students from low-income households. He also confirmed that the Free Tertiary Education Policy for Persons with Disability has begun, removing a major barrier to higher learning.
“The implementation of the free tertiary education policy for persons with disability has commenced, affirming our belief that education must be a right and not a privilege for every Ghanaian, regardless of their physical ability,” Mahama stressed.
