The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has warned universities in Ghana against admitting more PhD students than they have the capacity to supervise. This warning was given by GTEC Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, at the graduation ceremony of the African University of Communication and Business (AUCB) in Accra on October 31, 2026. He emphasized that quality must take precedence over quantity to protect academic standards. The ceremony saw a total of 350 students graduate, comprising 206 undergraduates and 144 postgraduate students.
According to Prof. Jinapor, doctoral education is critical to developing future researchers, lecturers, and policy thinkers. However, he stressed that universities must not allow the desire to increase enrolment to compromise academic standards. The expansion of doctoral programmes must be supported by an adequate number of qualified supervisors, research facilities, library resources, and funding to ensure effective supervision and quality research. He noted that growth in numbers must never outpace capacity.
Prof. Jinapor also called on universities to adapt their teaching and research to prepare graduates for an increasingly technology-driven economy. He identified artificial intelligence (AI), automation, big data, digital platforms, and cybersecurity as areas reshaping professional and economic activities. While acknowledging that online, blended, and distance learning could expand access to tertiary education, he cautioned institutions against using digital delivery as a means of lowering academic standards.
The GTEC Director-General urged universities, particularly newly chartered institutions, to ensure that doctoral admissions reflected their actual capacity. He emphasized that quality must take precedence over quantity in postgraduate education. Universities were also encouraged to embrace technology without lowering standards. Online degrees must have the same value as qualifications obtained through on-campus learning, requiring accredited programmes, qualified faculty, reliable digital platforms, credible assessment systems, and adequate student support.
Prof. Jinapor advised graduates to embrace lifelong learning and develop the ability to work with emerging technologies while maintaining independent thinking, integrity, and sound judgement. He encouraged them not to compete with technology but to learn to work intelligently with it. The GTEC boss further disclosed that GTEC had intensified public education on recognised institutions and accredited learning centres to protect prospective students from enrolling in unaccredited programmes.
In July 2026, GTEC issued a public notice identifying 15 unaccredited learning centres and institutions whose institutional accreditation had expired. An updated list of 110 unrecognised institutions was subsequently published in September 2026. The warning forms part of efforts to promote quality assurance and help students make informed decisions when choosing tertiary institutions and academic programmes.
The GTEC's warning and guidelines aim to ensure that Ghana's tertiary education system maintains its quality and credibility. By prioritizing quality over quantity, universities can produce graduates who are well-equipped to contribute to the country's development. The Commission's efforts also seek to protect students from enrolling in programmes that may not provide them with the desired outcomes.
Key points
- GTEC cautions universities against over-admitting PhD students beyond their supervisory capacity.
- Universities urged to adapt teaching and research to prepare graduates for a technology-driven economy.
- GTEC intensifies public education on recognised institutions and accredited learning centres.
