The government has rolled out a tertiary education scholarship scheme targeted at children of cocoa farmers — a move widely seen as a game changer in Ghana’s push for equitable access to higher education.
Announcing the initiative on Monday, August 4, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the programme forms part of a broader commitment to support cocoa farming communities that have long underpinned Ghana’s economy.
“President John Mahama has introduced a tertiary education scholarship scheme for children of cocoa farmers. Subsequently, in the 2025/2026 season. The Cocobod will develop modalities and implement the cocoa tertiary scholarship scheme for children of cocoa farmers, which will take effect from the 2026 and 2027 academic years,” Dr Ato Forson stated.
The scheme, a collaborative effort between the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the Ministry of Education, is expected to cover tuition fees, accommodation, and stipends for eligible students pursuing tertiary programmes at accredited institutions across the country.
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that their parent or guardian is actively engaged in cocoa farming, meet academic performance benchmarks set by COCOBOD, and gain admission to a recognised tertiary institution.
The announcement follows years of persistent advocacy from cocoa farmers, civil society organisations, and rural education campaigners who have called on successive governments to invest more directly in the human capital of cocoa-producing areas.
Although cocoa remains a backbone of Ghana’s economy — raking in over $2.5 billion annually in foreign exchange — most cocoa-growing communities continue to battle poverty and limited access to secondary and tertiary education.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), students from rural and agriculturally dependent communities remain underrepresented at the tertiary level due to financial barriers, despite a steady national rise in enrolment.
The new scheme aims to reverse that trend by giving students from cocoa-growing areas a fighting chance to climb the academic ladder, break generational poverty, and ultimately contribute to national development through innovation and skills transfer.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
