Ghana’s Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has disclosed that the current administration is grappling with a GH¢700 million debt at the Scholarship Secretariat, inherited from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Speaking during an interview with Joy News, Mr Opare Addo warned that the debt poses a serious threat to the education of Ghanaian students abroad, with some institutions already threatening eviction over unpaid fees.
“My registrar now has to go around the world and negotiate with schools, and that’s what we’ve been doing for the past four or five months. I keep sending him — go here, go there — because we keep receiving threats from schools across the globe saying: ‘We are going to sack your students,’” he said, describing the situation as a “bad mess.”
According to the minister, the acting Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, is in active negotiations with the management of affected institutions to address the outstanding payments. He stressed that, although the problem was inherited, the government is working “tirelessly” to find a solution, noting that the situation has implications for Ghana’s international reputation.
“This involves Ghanaian students, and so we must find the money to pay. The Minister of Finance, the Chief of Staff. We are all working closely to offset the debt because it affects Ghana’s international reputation. We will pay, but we must negotiate. We do not have GH¢700 million in cash, so we are in talks with various schools and institutions across the world,” he stated.
A full audit of the debt is currently underway, which will inform the government’s next steps.
The minister’s remarks follow growing public concern, particularly after reports that approximately 185 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis in the United States face potential eviction over $3.6 million in unpaid scholarship funding. The university has reportedly given a deadline of 9 August 2025 for the debt to be cleared.
Mr Opare Addo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the crisis, assuring students and their families that efforts are being made to secure their education and prevent further international fallout.
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