That, according to him, would put the beneficiaries in the right ca­pacity to impact the lives of many within their communities, resulting in the needed transformation at both the local and national levels.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Lebanese Community Scholar­ship Programme and the launch of the Lebanese Scholarship Alumni Network (LESAN) in Accra on Friday.

Initiated in 2014 by the Leba­nese Community in Ghana, the Lebanese Community Scholar­ship Programme aims to provide support for Ghanaian students to obtain higher education at various universities across the country.
   
President Akufo-Addo expressed his profound gratitude to the Leb­anese Community in Ghana for the support it had provided to Ghana­ian students since the inception of the scholarship programme adding that “the initiative is a proof of the strong bond that has been existing between Ghana and Lebanon for many years.”

He explained that the schol­arship programme by the Leba­nese Community in Ghana and the Lebanese Embassy mirrored the importance his government attached to education, culminating in policies such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) and Student Loan Trust Fund policies, aimed at ensuring that all Ghanaians have access to it.

The Lebanese Scholarship Pro­gramme, President Akufo-Addo said, was a good example of part­nerships that could bring positive change and a model to emulate adding the strong relationship between the two countries would be maintained to benefit other generations.

He said, countries such as Ma­laysia, Singapore and South Korea had made huge progress by wiping out illiteracy and empowering generations of citizens with skills to champion the nation’s develop­ment.

The Ambassador of Lebanon to Ghana, Mr Maher Kheir, in his re­marks said more than 600 students had been supported under the scholarship programme to pursue higher learning at various tertiary institutions across the country.

He explained that the scholar­ship programme over the past years have been expanded to include the school of performing arts, film and television, public relations and the introduction of research seminars for post graduate students at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC),

Mr Kheir described students who had been part of the schol­arship programme as a symbol of resilience, determination, and a shared responsibility of learning.

He also lauded the vice-chan­cellors, deans and faculty heads of various universities for their un­wavering commitment in providing students with best tuition for them to excel.

Lebanon, Mr Kheir said, looked forward to strengthening the relationship with Ghana through LESAN for greater global impact.

The ambassador expressed gratitude to the Lebanese Com­munity in Ghana, the Scholarship Committee, and other sponsors for the role played in ensuring that the programme kept on running over the last decade.