Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has pledged to introduce free university education if elected by party delegates and, subsequently, by Ghanaians as President.
According to the former Education Minister, the policy is achievable, particularly given the successful implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme—an initiative he described as even more costly due to the additional expense of feeding students.
“If we can provide free education at the secondary level, where students are fed, why can’t we extend it to the tertiary level where students only pay academic fees?” he asked.
Addressing delegates at Effiduase during his Ashanti Regional campaign tour, Dr. Adutwum said making tertiary education free would be a top priority under his administration.
He insisted that the NPP, having pioneered the Free SHS programme, must take the next bold step to make education fully accessible to all. He noted that many beneficiaries of the Free SHS policy risk being unable to continue to university due to financial constraints, emphasizing the need for policy continuity to safeguard the country’s investment in second-cycle education.
Dr. Adutwum also argued that failure by the NPP to introduce such an intervention could push young people toward the National Democratic Congress, which is currently paying first-year fees for students in public universities.
“As the party that boldly implemented Free SHS, a policy others doubted, we must again lead the way by committing more resources to build the human capital of this country,” he stated.
He explained that his passion for free university education stems from his personal experience growing up in poverty as the son of a cocoa farmer—struggles that shaped his commitment to champion pro-poor policies that uplift vulnerable families.
“I am seeking your support to lead this country to implement bold, people-centred policies that will lift households out of poverty and drive sustainable development,” he told delegates.
Dr. Adutwum also unveiled a set of welfare initiatives he intends to introduce to improve the livelihoods of grassroots party members should he become the NPP flagbearer and, ultimately, President.
