Els: MBN360 News
The Ghana Scholarship Authority has rejected claims circulating in public discussions suggesting that Canadian citizens benefited from scholarships administered by the institution.
Director General of the Authority, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, said the claims are misleading and do not reflect the facts surrounding the award of the scholarships in question. In a statement addressing the issue, he said the Authority considered it necessary to clarify the matter in the interest of transparency and public understanding.
“My attention has been drawn to misleading information about the operations of the Ghana Scholarship Authority,” Asafo-Agyei said. He noted that although the Authority did not intend to give unnecessary attention to what he described as propaganda, it was important to present the facts to the Ghanaian public.
According to him, assertions that the beneficiaries involved were Canadian citizens are incorrect and misrepresent the eligibility requirements of the scholarship programme.
Beneficiaries Identified as Ghanaian Citizens
Asafo-Agyei explained that the individuals referenced in the claims are Ghanaians by birth and parentage. He stressed that Ghanaian citizenship remains the fundamental requirement for eligibility under the scholarship programme administered by the Authority.
“The attempt to portray them as Canadians benefiting from Ghanaian scholarships is deliberately misleading and unsupported by facts”.Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, Director-General – Ghana Scholarship Authority
He added that the Authority applies clear eligibility standards when assessing scholarship applications, and citizenship is among the primary requirements considered during the selection process.
According to him, once applicants meet the citizenship requirement and other selection criteria, they remain eligible to compete for scholarships under the established guidelines.
Scholarship Awards Guided by Three Categories
The Director General also addressed claims that scholarships are exclusively reserved for students classified as “needy but brilliant.” He explained that the scholarship programme operates under a three category framework that considers financial need, national priority programmes and merit based selection.
The first category focuses on students who demonstrate strong academic performance but lack the financial means to pursue higher education. The second category supports programmes that are considered critical to national development and where Ghana requires specialized expertise.
The third category allows academically qualified Ghanaian students to compete for scholarships based on merit regardless of their economic background.
According to Asafo-Agyei, presenting the scholarship scheme as one that exclusively targets financially disadvantaged students is inaccurate and overlooks the broader structure of the programme.
“It is intellectually dishonest to create the impression that any beneficiary who does not fall within the needy but brilliant category is undeserving,”.Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, Director-General – Ghana Scholarship Authority
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Details of 2026 Scholarship Allocation
The Director General also provided details on the allocation of scholarships under the current cycle. He explained that 5,000 scholarships have been earmarked for the 2026 cycle of the programme. Out of this number, 2,000 are reserved specifically for the needy but brilliant category.
According to him, this category is administered by an independent selection committee to ensure fairness and transparency in the process. The remaining scholarships are awarded through the merit based and national priority categories in line with the Authority’s established guidelines.
Asafo-Agyei said it is therefore inaccurate to suggest that scholarships should only be granted to applicants who fall within the financial need category.
Responding to suggestions that family connections or social status may influence scholarship awards, Asafo-Agyei stated that the Authority does not discriminate against applicants based on their background.
He said the role of the institution is to determine whether an applicant is Ghanaian and whether the applicant meets the selection criteria for the relevant category.
Once those requirements are satisfied, he explained, the Authority has no legal or administrative basis to deny an applicant because of speculation about family relationships or perceived privilege. According to him, all decisions are guided by the established rules governing the scholarship programme.
Legal Context of Scholarship Decisions
The Director General also addressed arguments that scholarships should only be awarded for programmes not offered in Ghana. He explained that such arguments rely on provisions contained in the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill, which had not yet taken effect at the time the scholarships in question were awarded.
According to him, the bill was passed by Parliament in November 2025 and later received presidential assent in December of the same year. Asafo-Agyei said it would therefore be legally inaccurate to suggest that the Authority breached a legal framework that did not exist at the time the scholarship decisions were made.
The statement also dismissed claims that scholarships are sold or traded for money. Asafo-Agyei described such allegations as irresponsible and said they must be supported with credible evidence and presented to appropriate investigative authorities rather than circulated through speculation.
He referenced earlier allegations made by former official Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, noting that the claims were later acknowledged as lacking factual basis. According to Asafo-Agyei, the Authority operates a structured application and evaluation system designed to ensure fairness and accountability.
Commitment to Transparency
The Director General emphasised that the Authority remains committed to administering scholarships with professionalism, fairness and transparency. He said the institution will continue to ensure that deserving Ghanaian students have access to opportunities that support higher education and national development.
Asafo-Agyei also indicated that the Authority intends to publish additional lists of scholarship beneficiaries covering the period from 2016 to 2024 in the coming days as part of efforts to improve public access to information.
He added that the Authority will remain focused on supporting qualified students under the government’s broader development agenda led by President John Dramani Mahama.
