On 27th February, 2025 during the State of the Nation’s Address (SONA), the president of the Republic of Ghana emphasized his commitment to uphold academic freedom, and assured that his administration will not interfere with the governance and administration of public tertiary institutions.
Affirming his government’s role to support and enhance the quality of education, he stated thus; “Academic freedom will be upheld, and institutions will be required to ensure good governance. We will not interfere in the administration of public tertiary institutions”.
Similarly, the minister of education has reiterated the commitment of government to ensure unfettered autonomy and academic freedom in tertiary institutions. This was in a statement read on his behalf at the 75th Anniversary of the Accra Technical University, which is to ensure that tertiary institutions fulfill their mandates without interference. Subsequently, the minister of education reaffirmed the government’s decision not to interfere with academic freedom in tertiary institutions, when he inaugurated the 19-member governing council for the Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University in Accra.
The assurance from the president of Ghana, and the minister of education to the effect that government will not interfere with academic freedom is praiseworthy, as it acknowledges and reaffirms the autonomy of tertiary institutions to operate independently. This will promote an enabling environment for tertiary institutions to engage in the teaching and learning process devoid of political interferences.
Sources:
https://citinewsroom.com/2025/02/well-not-interfere-in-public-tertiary-administration-mahama/