President of the Old Achimotan Association (OAA), Joel Edmund Nettey, has called on the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Education to introduce clear and tangible incentives for alumni, corporate organisations and private individuals who invest in public schools.

He argues that while many former students and philanthropists are willing to support their alma mater, goodwill and personal attachment alone may no longer be enough to sustain the level of investment required to address Ghana’s growing infrastructure deficit in education.

Mr Nettey made the call at the sod-cutting ceremony for a 250-bed dormitory block at Achimota School.

The facility is being donated by old student and real estate developer, Ebenezer Saka Addo-Mensah, in partnership with GETFund under the Fund’s new Education Financing and Partnership Initiative (EFPI).

Mr Nettey said alumni associations frequently face questions from members about the benefits of contributing to their former schools.

“Every single time we as old students go to hound our members to support our old schools, the question has been, ‘But what’s in it for me beyond the love for my alma mater?’” he said.

He argued that a formal framework offering benefits such as tax rebates, discounts or other recognised incentives could encourage more people to contribute to public education.

“There is the desire to support, but there has to be something more meaningful than just love. When you give back to your school, beyond the love and beyond the applause, there should be something concrete like a tax rebate, a discount, a recognised benefit. That is what will make it easier for us to keep giving,” Mr Nettey added.

GETFund backs call for incentives

The GETFund Administrator, Paul Adjei, said the Fund was already considering measures to reward private investment in education.

He appealed to the Ministry of Education to provide the necessary policy support to facilitate such incentives.

“We want to come up with some incentives to encourage more of such investments, and we appeal to the Minister of Education to also support us with policy that will encourage us to do more with the private sector,” he said.

Mr Adjei described the Education Financing and Partnership Initiative as a strategic platform designed to mobilise additional resources for education and attract greater private-sector participation.

He said the initiative would help deepen philanthropic engagement and create innovative partnerships to complement government financing of education.

Government announces infrastructure push

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu commended GETFund for introducing what he described as a new approach to financing education.

He subsequently directed GETFund to set aside a minimum of US$250 million in its 2027 formula for a deliberate infrastructure intervention targeting Category ‘A’ schools.

The allocation, he said, would support the expansion of classrooms, dormitories and laboratories across the schools.

Mr Iddrisu also disclosed that the government was expecting up to US$300 million in World Bank funding to expand access to education.

The funding is expected to support the establishment of 10 new senior high and technical/vocational schools, four model district schools in deprived areas, the rehabilitation of about 150 schools and the upgrading of 30 Category ‘C’ schools to Category ‘B’ and 20 Category ‘B’ schools to Category ‘A’.

Donor urges others to follow suit

For donor Ebenezer Saka Addo-Mensah, the new dormitory block represents another chapter in his longstanding relationship with Achimota School.

He previously supported the construction of a 30-bed medical ward for the school.

Mr Saka Addo-Mensah urged other well-resourced Ghanaians to consider supporting public institutions that have contributed to their development.

“My call to everyone here is: talk to somebody who can. There are benefits that can be gained through such initiatives,” he said.

The Board Chair of Achimota School, Professor Emeritus Ernest Aryeetey, also expressed appreciation to Mr Saka Addo-Mensah and GETFund for their contribution.

He challenged other Ghanaians to emulate the gesture and give back to institutions and communities that contributed to their development.

“Saka is an example of what we expect from every Ghanaian: that those who have benefited from a community should give back to it,” Prof. Aryeetey said.

Rising enrolment puts pressure on Achimota infrastructure

The 250-bed dormitory, when completed, is expected to accommodate male students and ease pressure on Achimota School’s residential facilities.

The school’s infrastructure has come under increasing pressure following a significant rise in enrolment.

Student numbers have increased from about 2,000 in 2018 to more than 4,900 currently, creating additional demand for dormitories, classrooms and laboratories.

The development forms part of a wider challenge facing Ghana’s second-cycle institutions, where rising enrolment has not been matched by a corresponding expansion of educational infrastructure.

The OAA says stronger collaboration between government, alumni associations, philanthropists and the private sector will therefore be critical to closing the infrastructure gap.