Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, has called for a significant increase in the national education budget following the nomination of Haruna Iddrisu as Minister-designate for Education by President John Dramani Mahama.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, January 16, 2025, Mr. Asare highlighted the critical role of budgetary support in addressing Ghana’s education challenges and fulfilling campaign promises.

Mr. Asare’s remarks reflect a growing consensus among education stakeholders that sufficient funding is crucial for the effective implementation of policies and programs.

The call for a 20% budgetary allocation to education aligns with international benchmarks, such as the UNESCO recommendation which suggests that governments allocate between 15-20% of their total expenditure to education.

“We expect to see the minister influencing the education budget so that at least we have 20% of the public budget allocated to education. That should be the basis for which one would expect that the 140 education promises in the NDC manifesto will see an expedited commencement in year one,” he stated.

Beyond budgetary concerns, Mr. Asare also emphasised the importance of convening an education conference to foster dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders.

He underscored the need for a forum where educators, policymakers and civil society can deliberate on strategies to address pressing challenges and achieve national education goals.