Government has committed GHS50 million in the 2027 GETFund budget to support the operationalization of the newly commissioned University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) campus at Kenyasi Number 2, with the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, announcing that the funding would go toward an administration block and a dormitory to ensure a smooth start for the institution.
The commitment was announced at the official commissioning of the UMAT Human Campus in Kenyasi Number 2, where the Minister also reaffirmed government’s promise to establish a fully-fledged public university in the Ahafo Region before the end of President John Dramani Mahama’s tenure.
The ceremony drew together government officials, university leadership, traditional authorities and representatives of the mining sector, underscoring the significance the region attaches to the new institution.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hon. Iddrisu disclosed that the GHS50 million allocation had already been factored into next year’s GETFund budget, describing the funding as critical to giving the new campus the infrastructure it needs to begin full operations.
He explained that the funding would go specifically toward constructing an administration block and student dormitory facilities, both considered essential building blocks for a functioning university campus beyond the lecture facilities already in place.
The Minister noted that without dedicated administrative space and accommodation for students, the campus would struggle to attract and retain the numbers needed to justify its eventual transition into a larger, self-sustaining institution.
He described the GETFund commitment as government’s way of demonstrating that the commissioning ceremony was not simply symbolic, but backed by concrete financial planning already built into the national budget cycle.
Promise of a Full University for Ahafo Before 2028
Beyond the immediate GETFund allocation, Hon. Iddrisu used the occasion to renew government’s broader commitment to the region, pledging that Ahafo would ultimately receive a complete, standalone public university before President Mahama leaves office.
“Let me also give you assurance that before President John Dramani Mahama will leave office as President, Ahafo will get a full-fledged university under the NDC government.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education
With that pledge delivered, the Minister proceeded to formally declare the UMAT Kenyasi Campus open, marking the practical beginning of academic and administrative operations at the site. The declaration was met with applause from the gathered crowd, many of whom have waited years for the region to secure a dedicated tertiary institution of its own.
Facility Built to Serve the Region’s Academic Needs
Hon. Iddrisu also spoke to the scale and design of the flagship academic building now standing at the heart of the campus, describing it as a facility built to support serious tertiary education rather than a temporary or scaled-down outpost of the university’s main campus.
“The edifice is a four-storey, eight-unit lecture block. It has eight lecture halls, ICT lab, a library, five offices, server room, elevator or lift and 10 washrooms.”
Hon.Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education
He noted that the modern amenities built into the facility, including a server room and an elevator, reflected government’s intention to give the Ahafo Region a campus capable of competing with more established tertiary institutions elsewhere in the country.
Commitment to Academic Excellence and Local Development
Beyond the physical infrastructure, the Minister used his remarks to speak to the broader purpose of the campus, tying its establishment directly to the country’s mining and minerals sector, an industry closely associated with the Ahafo Region.
He said the university’s presence in Kenyasi Number 2 was intended to deepen ties with local communities and mining companies operating in the area, creating a pipeline of locally trained talent for the extractive industry.
He assured residents and stakeholders that government remained committed to maintaining high academic standards at the new campus, even as it worked to grow the institution over the coming years, stressing that the quality of education offered would not be compromised by the campus’s status as a newly established site.
Campus Positioned for Long-Term Growth
Taken together, the commissioning of the Kenyasi Number 2 campus, backed by government funding through GETFund, marks what Hon. Iddrisu described as the operational start of a facility expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
With the GHS50 million GETFund allocation set for the 2027 budget cycle and government’s pledge of a full university for Ahafo before 2028, the Minister framed the day’s commissioning as merely the first phase of a longer-term development plan for higher education in the region.
The coming months are expected to bring further clarity on construction timelines for the administration block and dormitory facilities, as well as details on how the promised full-fledged Ahafo university will relate to, or possibly grow out of, the newly opened UMAT campus at Kenyasi Number 2.
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