Including the implementation of free tertiary education for persons with disabilities and the removal of financial barriers for first-year students, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a sweeping development blueprint for northern Ghana, pledging transformative investments in education, healthcare, job creation, and rural infrastructure.
Speaking to a charged crowd during his regional tour, Mr. Mahama described the current state of educational infrastructure as inadequate and pledged to close the gap. “We cannot allow our children to study under trees or without desks,” he said, as he outlined plans to furnish public schools and eliminate makeshift classrooms.
To reinforce accountability, district chief executives will be mandated to allocate 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund directly to addressing educational infrastructure shortfalls. In a major policy announcement, the former president promised to absorb admission fees for all first-year tertiary students and provide free tertiary education to persons with disabilities, ensuring that no one is left behind due to financial constraints.
In addition, Mahama vowed to complete all abandoned E-blocks and revive stalled projects at the University for Development Studies (UDS), including a long-overdue library complex, lecture halls, and hostel facilities initially begun under the late President Atta Mills.
On healthcare, Mr. Mahama said the “Mahama Cares” program is designed to expand access to critical services such as dialysis, Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, and rural clinics. He pledged to recruit and deploy additional health workers to underserved communities and implement free primary healthcare at all basic health facilities, irrespective of patients’ National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) status. “We are going to train, recruit, and post more nurses and midwives to the rural areas, to underserved areas, so that they can improve the health care of our rural populations. We will also roll out our free primary health care,” said.
And under this program, any Ghanaian who goes to a CHIPS compound, a health center, a polyclinic, or a district hospital will not pay any fees, whether you have an NHIS card or not, he said.”
Addressing the persistent challenge of youth unemployment, Mr. Mahama highlighted several initiatives under his proposed administration, including the National Apprenticeship Program and the One Million Coders Project. To support women entrepreneurs, particularly those in shea butter production and agro-processing, the former president revealed plans to operationalize the Women’s Development Bank to provide affordable financial support tailored to the needs of women-led businesses.
On basic infrastructure, Mr. Mahama pledged to improve access to potable water through the extension of the Jambusi Water Works and the drilling of mechanized boreholes in small communities such as those in Wa East and Nandom districts. He also committed to working with local authorities to upgrade sanitation facilities and eliminate open defecation.
Mr. Mahama acknowledged concerns about highway robberies and border-related threats and pledged to strengthen community policing efforts.
“We cannot build development on a foundation of conflict. Unity and peace are essential for our collective progress,” he emphasized.
As the campaign trail intensifies, free tertiary education and expanded healthcare access are expected to remain central pillars of Mr. Mahama’s 2025 presidential bid.
