Ghana faces a mounting crisis of counterfeit academic degrees, fraudulent professional titles, and illegitimate international awards that undermine institutional credibility across sectors.
Recent incidents highlight systemic verification failures, exemplified by Kwame Fordjour’s distribution of fabricated “United Nations” awards to prominent figures including rapper Sarkodie and broadcaster Berla Mundi.
Parallel cases involve Anne Sansa Daly’s contested medical credentials, which secured her a revoked appointment to the National Health Insurance Authority board.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission confirmed widespread regulatory breaches, revealing unaccredited study centers operated by universities like UCC and UEW in Sunyani and Koforidua. GTEC Director-General Professor Ahmed Jinapor stated, “We’ve suspended partnerships with unrecognized foreign institutions whose degrees hold no validity in Ghana’s job market.” Investigations further uncovered herbal clinics displaying dubious “global excellence” awards from unverifiable organizations.
Critics note regulatory inertia beyond GTEC’s actions. Health and education oversight bodies face scrutiny for failing to investigate credential fraud despite evidence of unqualified practitioners operating nationwide. The pattern erodes public trust, with governance analyst Dr. Kojo Asante warning, “When fake degrees infiltrate hospitals and lecture halls, lives and livelihoods are endangered.”
Ghana’s integrity framework shows critical gaps as perpetrators face minimal consequences. GTEC recently implemented a digital verification platform, but experts demand criminal prosecutions and public blacklisting of offenders. The crisis coincides with renewed World Bank emphasis on institutional quality for foreign investment, intensifying pressure for decisive intervention to preserve professional standards.
