The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has held its first Board Engagement following the reconstitution of its governing board. The two-day event, which commenced on 16th May 2025, brought together the Commission's board members, directors, and senior officers at the Eastern Premier Hotel in Koforidua.

"Prof Mahama Duwiejua (Chairman) left and Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai right (Director General) GTEC"

Setting the Vision: Address by the Board Chairman

The engagement opened with an inspiring address by the Board Chairman, Prof. Mahama Duwiejua, who expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to lead the Commission at such a pivotal time in Ghana’s educational transformation. He emphasised that GTEC’s role goes beyond shaping policy. It plays a vital part in opening opportunities, empowering institutions, and preparing Ghanaian students to thrive in a competitive global environment. “Education is not just a tool for personal growth, it’s the foundation of national development,” he noted.

The Chairman outlined a bold and inclusive vision focused on building a tertiary education system that is excellent, inclusive, innovative, and aligned with national priorities. He stressed the importance of a unified approach between public and private institutions to expand access, enhance quality, and drive innovation.

Prof. Duwiejua also echoed a directive from the President of the Republic, relayed through the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrissu, encouraging GTEC to consider a five-year transition period to support private tertiary institutions in achieving presidential charter status. This, the Chairman noted, would enable gradual compliance and support the sustainable growth of the private tertiary sector.

Strategic Objectives of the Engagement

The Director-General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, outlined the purpose of the engagement, which was first to get to know each other and to familiarise the newly reconstituted Board with the Commission’s strategic activities, policy directions, and operations. The session was designed to ensure that Board members are well-informed and empowered to make decisions that advance the mandate of GTEC. He also mentioned that the directors and critical staff had been deliberately invited to provide updates in their respective sections.

Day 1 Highlights: Presentations and Progress Updates

Update on the Centralised Application Processing System (CAPS)

Mr. Jacob T. Akunor provided a comprehensive update on CAPS, detailing its development and rollout as a transformative tool to streamline applications into tertiary education institutions and promote transparency and equity across institutions. Key milestones include integration with WAEC, NIA, and Ghana Post-GPS systems. A pilot phase was completed in November 2023, with plans to roll out CAPS for the 2025–2026 admission cycle. He also outlined the next steps for implementation.

Presentations from GTEC Directorates and Departments

Each Directorate presented updates on their ongoing activities, initiatives and in some cases challenges:

• Accreditation Directorate – Mr. Saaka Sayuti shared insights into institutional and programme accreditation processes and reported significant strides in digitising processes through the Accreditation Management Information System (AMIS), which was launched in February 2024.
• Finance Directorate – Mr. Frank K. Nketia reported briefly on financial performance and budgeting frameworks but mainly dwelt on the functions of the finance directorate and its working relationship with the audit department.
• Administration Directorate – Mrs. Anita Andrews Nanfuri highlighted staffing, Human Resource and operational issues and logistics. She underscored the relevance of the directorate in coordinating the activities of all other directorates.
• Policy, Planning & Research Directorate – Mr. John Dadzie-Mensah shared updates on policy development and research-driven planning and outlined key challenges with the directorate.
• Credential Evaluation Department – Mr. Maxwell Amoako-Kissi gave an overview of foreign qualification recognition and equivalency frameworks and discussed strides the Commission is taking to have a national qualifications framework.
• Quality Assurance & Compliance Directorate – Mr. Emmanuel Oware Nyarko presented on quality monitoring mechanisms and compliance checks, including academic audit and cyclical reviews.
• Internal Audit Department – Mrs. Nancy N. O. Doe presented the audit strategy and internal controls to ensure institutional accountability and provided clarity to the requirements of the Audit Committee.
• Corporate Affairs Directorate – Mr. Jerry Sarfo discussed publications and Information Management, media engagement, public relations, and brand visibility.

Looking Ahead: Collaboration and Governance

The Board Chairman, Prof. Mahama Duwiejua, concluded the day by encouraging active collaboration, open dialogue, and innovative thinking, highlighting that GTEC’s strength lies in the diverse expertise represented on its board and in its secretariat.

“Let’s work with energy, with vision, and with a shared commitment to ensuring Ghana’s higher education system doesn’t just keep up with the world, but leads it,” he affirmed.

Day 2 Outlook

The Board engagement continues on 17^th May 2025 with an orientation session for Board members led by Mr. Paul Effah, followed by the first regular Board meeting of the reconstituted GTEC Board.