Governance expert and policy analyst, Professor Enoch Opoku Antwi, has recounted how financial hardship nearly cut short his education, revealing that a GH₵67 requirement almost prevented him from continuing to sixth form.

In an interview on The Career Trail program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, he traced his academic journey, highlighting the sacrifices that shaped his path.

He began at Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua, where he excelled academically and earned distinction at O-level, securing admission to Opoku Ware for sixth form.

 “I had distinction for my O-level, and after that, I gained admission to Opoku Ware for sixth form,” he said.

However, the transition was nearly derailed by financial constraints at home.

“At the time, the fee was 67 cedis. My father said he could only afford 40 cedis,” he recalled.

 “He gave me the 40 cedis, and I had to use part of it for transportation to go back to Koforidua to find the additional 17 cedis before I could report to school,” he continued.

Despite the odds, he successfully enrolled and went on to study business at Opoku Ware.

After completing sixth form, his financial situation once again shaped his next steps. While many of his colleagues proceeded directly to university, he chose a different route.

“I knew I didn’t have the money to go to university, so I did national service and then stayed on to teach for one year. I was teaching and working as a football coach for the municipal assembly. We trained students in football and volleyball in the mornings,” he recounted.

He saved consistently from these efforts, a decision that eventually changed his trajectory.

“I had a penny box where I saved all the money from teaching and extra classes. That was the money I used to pay my fees when I finally entered the University of Cape Coast,” he revealed.

At the University of Cape Coast, he studied psychology, later benefiting from student loans to support his education.

“Along the line, I had access to student loans, which helped me continue,” he noted.

Today, that journey has come full circle. From struggling to raise 67 cedis to continue his education, Prof. Antwi has gone on to earn advanced degrees in the United States, teach at several universities, and risen to become Dean of Business Administration and Communications Arts.