By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
In a significant move towards enhancing inter-African educational collaboration, the Deputy Minister for Higher Education of South Africa, Dr. Mimmy Martha Gondwe, has paid a courtesy call on Ghana’s Minister for Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu. The meeting, held in Accra, focused on exchanging ideas about the educational systems of both nations and identifying areas for stronger bilateral cooperation.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu warmly welcomed the South African delegation and reiterated Ghana’s commitment to deepening ties with sister African nations through education and innovation. He stressed the importance of cross-border collaboration in advancing access, equity, and quality within Africa’s education landscape.
“As African nations, we share similar educational goals and challenges,” Hon. Iddrisu noted. “Strengthening our ties through academic collaboration, exchange programmes, and shared research can drive the transformation we seek in our respective systems.”
The Ghanaian Education Minister also proposed a potential exchange programme between public tertiary institutions in Ghana and South Africa. The initiative would promote academic mobility, cultural enrichment, and joint scholarly research, particularly in fields such as science, technology, education, and humanities.
Dr. Mimmy Gondwe, for her part, affirmed South Africa’s eagerness to build a stronger educational partnership with Ghana. She emphasized areas of mutual interest, including curriculum development, teacher training, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and digital transformation.
“We see great potential in closer collaboration with Ghana,” Dr. Gondwe said. “Our shared priorities whether in digital learning, skills development, or education reform, make us natural partners on the path to progress.”
The meeting provided a unique platform for both sides to reflect on current reforms in their respective educational systems, particularly around teacher development, technology integration, and curriculum modernization.
Stakeholders from both countries are expected to follow up on the discussions with concrete action plans aimed at fostering long-term educational cooperation.
The visit is part of broader efforts to strengthen South-South partnerships across Africa, in line with continental frameworks such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA).
