Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, has expressed serious concerns about the National Scholarship Authority Bill, cautioning that the proposed legislation could entrench political control rather than bring meaningful reform to Ghana’s scholarship system.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on July 17, 2025, Asare described the bill as simply redistributing power among political elites. “The new bill just shifts authority from one group of executives to another,” he said. “The board will include Ministers of Education, Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General, and others. So, is this really a reform, or just a transfer of influence over who receives scholarships from one set of leaders to another?”
His critique comes as Parliament prepares to pass the bill by week’s end. Earlier, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Chairman of Parliament’s Education Committee, had stated on July 15 that the bill aims to enhance transparency and oversight in the administration of scholarships nationwide. However, Asare argued the current draft falls short of these goals. “If you continue doing the same thing and expect different results, you will be disappointed,” he warned. He pointed out that the bill does not address fundamental problems such as nepotism, political interference, and the absence of meritocracy, issues that have long undermined Ghana’s scholarship system