Africa must invest in its human capital at all levels – UG Vice-Chancellor

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has emphasized the need for African countries to invest in their human capital at all levels.

She said the human capital in Africa was the best resource it has and, therefore, it could not compromise on investing in it.

Professor Amfo made this statement during a panel discussion on the topic: “Building the Africa We Want with Social Infrastructure.”

The discussion was part of a series of panel sessions during the three-day Africa Prosperity Dialogue in Accra on January 31, 2025.

She noted that UG had long been at the forefront of human capital development—not just for this country, but for the entire continent and beyond for over 70 years.

As a public institution, she said, “The school faced significant challenges, with the major challenge being overcrowding, exacerbated by the increasing numbers of students enrolling, especially due to free senior high school education.

“When I applied to be Vice-Chancellor, the student population stood at about 52,000. Just two or three years later, it had surged to over 80,000,” she indicated, adding that the rapid growth required urgent solutions, balancing the need for increased access with maintaining quality education.

One of her key initiatives, she explained, was leveraging technology to address these challenges.

That, she noted, was because the school recognized that relying solely on traditional infrastructure was unsustainable.

Prof. Amfo said, “We focused on integrating technology into our teaching, learning, and administrative processes and undertook a comprehensive effort to modernize all our lecture halls and equip them with the necessary technological infrastructure to facilitate effective teaching and learning.

“Today, I am pleased to see that all our major lecture halls are fully digitized, benefiting both lecturers and students,” Professor Amfo added, noting that the transformation had also helped to alleviate overcrowding.

She said this innovation had significantly improved the learning experience by making lectures more accessible and interactive.

AM/KA

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