Planning and Coordination Committee member of the Academic Freedom Project, Edward Bright Adeabah, has raised concerns that foreign aid and limited institutional support are undermining academic freedom and creative expression in Ghana.
Speaking on Campus Exclusive on Radio Univers on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, Adeabah compared conditions in Ghana to those in the West, where he said governments offer educators more freedom and stronger support to publish their work.
“In the Western world, there’s significant funding for educational institutions. Governments give educators the freedom to publish their ideas and literary works, to share their opinions openly,” he said.
“But here in Africa, we’re often constrained by our reliance on foreign aid. In some cases, donors can dictate what we’re allowed to publish. Within Ghana, many scholars don’t feel they have the autonomy to express themselves freely through academic or literary work.”
Media and Publicity Committee member Rebecca Agbavor echoed Adeabah’s sentiments and urged the state and relevant stakeholders to enact stronger legal frameworks that protect the rights of academics, educators, and students.
“In the West, academic independence is protected by law. We believe the state and stakeholders need to establish strong legal measures to safeguard the rights of academics, educators, and students. And honestly, we shouldn’t rely so heavily on foreign aid. The more dependent we are, the more likely it is that external donors will try to control or influence our campus activities.”
Their concerns raise broader questions about Ghana’s academic sovereignty and whether the drawbacks of foreign dependence outweigh its benefits.
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Story by Anita Azawodie|univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Michelle Lartey
