Parliament Defers Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill to Facilitate Comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement

Parliament has paused the review of the Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill, 2025, to allow for wider consultations with relevant stakeholders. This move was prompted by a request from the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who stressed the importance of further engagement before the Bill moves forward.

The announcement came during the detailed examination of the Bill on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Minister Iddrisu informed lawmakers that two petitions had been submitted raising concerns about the legislation, and he plans to meet with a coalition of civil society organizations involved in education on Tuesday, July 22, to discuss the next steps.

“The Office of the President has brought certain concerns to my attention,” the Minister told Parliament. “Therefore, I sought the committee chairman’s approval to temporarily halt the process to allow for more thorough consultations. On July 15, we engaged with the education-focused civil society coalition. This Bill is a product of Cabinet deliberations and has undergone extensive internal discussion.”

Before the suspension, the Citizens’ Coalition—a group made up of civil society organizations and concerned citizens—had urged Parliament to stop progressing the Bill until comprehensive stakeholder input had been obtained.

In a statement released on July 17, 2025, the Coalition emphasized the critical need for public consultations in developing a unified legal framework that consolidates Ghana’s fragmented scholarship system into a credible and effective authority that serves the nation’s interests.

While recognizing the government’s initiative to improve scholarship management through stronger laws and institutions, the Coalition argued there is no immediate crisis to justify rushing the Bill through Parliament without adequate public involvement.

They further contended that although reforms are needed, the current Bill does not sufficiently address the structural challenges within the existing scholarship system. Instead, it risks entrenching problems such as lack of transparency, favoritism, and political interference.

“We are convinced that the draft legislation does not establish a transparent, accountable, and merit-based scholarship system consistent with international best practices,” the Coalition stated. “Meaningful reform must begin with broad consultations involving students, youth organizations, universities, civil society, and development partners.”

About the Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill, 2025

The Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill seeks to create an independent regulatory body tasked with overseeing scholarship awards to deserving students nationwide. Its core aim is to remove political patronage, nepotism, and other forms of undue influence from the scholarship allocation process.

If enacted, the Bill will transfer responsibility for scholarship oversight from the Office of the President to the Ministry of Education, introducing clearer governance structures and accountability mechanisms.

The legislation intends to ensure scholarships are awarded fairly based on merit, addressing longstanding concerns about political manipulation and favoritism in scholarship distribution across Ghana.

By suspending the Bill, Parliament is emphasizing the importance of inclusivity, transparency, and stakeholder engagement in crafting reforms that will shape the country’s education system and future human capital development. This pause provides an opportunity to build consensus and strengthen the Bill’s impact before moving forward.