The Private University Founders Association (PUFA) has extended its appreciation to the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, for acknowledging the concerns of private universities and initiating steps to amend the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) and that a Cabinet Memo is being finalised to make the chartering process optional for private tertiary institutions.
The policy shift, it said, directly addressed the long-standing challenges associated with the current chartering framework, which private universities had often found restrictive and cumbersome.
“Making charter acquisition optional will provide institutions with greater flexibility to innovate and enhance their contributions to national development.”
“PUFA also commends the minister's recognition of the vital role private universities play in widening access to higher education,” a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of PUFA, Dr Martin Gyambrak, said.
It said the reaffirmed commitment to access, relevance, and quality (ARQ), supported by oversight from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), provided a balanced approach that encourages institutional growth while maintaining high academic standards.
The association, it said, further appreciated the support of Parliament's Select Committee on Education, led by Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, whose advocacy for optional chartering reinforces broad stakeholder alignment.
“His citing of research indicating that the government saves approximately GH¢50,000 per student enrolled in Private Institutions highlights the substantial value private universities deliver to the state.
“PUFA stands ready to collaborate with the ministry and all stakeholders to strengthen Ghana's tertiary education sector and advance meaningful reforms,” it said.
Addressing a stakeholder engagement last week, Mr Iddrisu said he would get a Cabinet memorandum to amend the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 1023 of 2020 and to make chartering optional for private universities in the country.
He said there was a need to recognise the role played by private tertiary institutions in completing the work of government in the delivery of education.
"I will get a Cabinet memo or, probably, given the exigency of time, an executive approval from President John Dramani Mahama to amend Act 1023 of 2020 and to make chartering optional.”
Moratorium
"Even though I earlier pronounced that we'll give a moratorium of 10 years based on the Ansa-Asare Committee report and its recommendation, we need to recognise what private universities have done in complementing the government in expanding access to higher education," Mr Iddrisu said.
He said this on the sidelines of a stakeholder engagement on the Kwaku Ansa-Asare Committee Report on Presidential Charter for private universities, in Accra last Wednesday.
The committee was constituted on April 24, 2025, to, among other things, examine the five-year compulsory charter implementation journey, assess international best practices and advise the Minister of Education on ways of improving implementation of the charter policy.
It submitted its report to the minister on July 20, 2025, and the meeting was to conduct a critical evaluation of the findings of the report and make appropriate recommendations to the sector minister.
The meeting was attended by representatives of private universities.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Iddrisu lauded the institutions as government partners in the provision of higher education in Ghana.
