Academic City University President Professor Fred McBagonluri has urged the government to expand GTEC funding and student loan eligibility to private university students, highlighting their growing role in Ghana’s tertiary education landscape.
The appeal came during the institution’s inaugural graduation ceremony after receiving its presidential charter, where 122 STEAM-focused students graduated, including top achiever Joseph Ibiduma Apiriala-Atedoghu (CGPA 3.94).
With private university enrollment surging 30% to 70,000 students in 2024, McBagonluri argued that excluding these institutions from financial support schemes creates systemic inequity. “Private universities absorb critical educational demand yet remain peripheral in national funding priorities,” he stated, noting public institutions still dominate with 85% enrollment share. The call coincides with mounting pressure on Ghana’s higher education financing model as enrollment outpaces infrastructure growth.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sam Jonah counseled graduates to pursue purpose-driven careers, citing global tech founders who leveraged university networks. McBagonluri separately emphasized engineering’s strategic importance, lamenting Ghana’s chronic shortage of engineering graduates despite the sector’s potential to drive value-added industrialization.
