• Ghana approves new engineering and agriculture university in rural areas

• Three campuses aim to expand access beyond major cities

• Project targets youth unemployment and skills mismatch

Ghana’s Parliament has approved legislation to establish a new University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, signaling a shift in higher education policy toward strategic sectors—and away from major urban centers.

The bill, presented for its second reading by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, goes beyond creating a new institution. It sets governance rules, guarantees academic freedom, strengthens financial transparency, and promotes inclusivity across the university system.

A Deliberate Move Away From Cities

The law designates Bunsu as the main campus, with additional sites in Kenyasi and Acherensua—three rural locations. According to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the multi-campus model reflects a deliberate policy to decentralize higher education.

Lawmakers say the approach is meant to expand access in underserved areas, support local economic development, and ease pressure on cities already strained by housing and public services.

The move addresses a well-known imbalance. Most universities—public and private—are concentrated in Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi, leaving rural regions behind. With a gross tertiary enrollment rate of just 22.1% in 2023, according to the World Bank, Ghana still lags behind regional benchmarks.

A Labor Market Under Strain

Youth unemployment remains a central concern. Data from the Ghana Statistical Service shows the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 averaged 32.5% in 2025, reaching as high as 49.3% in Greater Accra during the third quarter.

About 21.5% of young people in that age group were neither in employment, education, nor training.

These figures point to a growing mismatch between education and labor market needs. More than 10% of employed workers said they were overqualified for their jobs, while 15.7% reported being underqualified—a gap that is particularly acute in rural areas.

Agriculture sits at the center of these challenges. The sector employed 35.37% of Ghana’s workforce in 2023, according to the World Bank, but remains largely traditional due to a shortage of trained technicians and agronomists. The new university is designed to address that structural gap.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou