The government has constituted a committee comprising the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES), and university authorities to address growing concerns about the rising hostel accommodation fees across the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of governing councils for Jasikan College of Education and the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences on Tuesday, May 11, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, cautioned that private partnerships in hostel development must not result in exorbitant charges for students.

He said there are ongoing public concerns about adjustments to hostel fees and explained that a committee involving the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and vice-chancellors of universities will continue consultations aimed at reaching an amicable solution.

Mr Iddrisu stressed that the government will not allow private partnerships in education infrastructure to operate without safeguards, insisting that public interest and social values must guide the delivery of such services.

Government, he further emphasised, will ensure a socially responsible approach in the provision of public goods, reflecting broader social concerns in its implementation.

Mr Iddrisu also announced that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences is expected to admit its first 800 students by October this year, adding that the government is also pursuing plans to establish additional universities, including one in the Western North Region.

He noted that proposals for the establishment of more public universities will be submitted to the president and government for policy guidance through the appropriate processes.

The minister further assured residents of the Western North Region that they are not being left out of the government’s plans for new universities, stressing that they remain part of ongoing considerations for the expansion of higher education infrastructure across the country.