Ghana and China have taken a significant step forward in their long-standing bilateral relationship with the signing of a US$30 million grant agreement to build a new university in Damongo, a key educational and economic hub in Ghana’s Savannah Region. The accord, signed during a meeting between Ghana’s Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson and outgoing Chinese Ambassador H.E. Tong Defa, reflects deepening cooperation in education, infrastructure, and human capital development.
The grant marks another milestone in the Ghana-China partnership, which dates back to the early years of Ghana’s post-independence development. It comes alongside other recent Chinese support initiatives, including a parallel US$30 million grant for the construction of a modern market in Aflao, reinforcing China’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.
According to Dr. Forson, the funds will be channelled into the construction of a new university campus in Damongo, poised to expand access to tertiary education in one of the country’s historically underserved regions. The university is envisioned not just as an academic institution but as a catalyst for regional development, attracting students, researchers and investments, while serving as a platform for skills training aligned with Ghana’s broader development goals.
The project aligns with earlier announcements by President John Dramani Mahama, who identified Damongo as the site for a Catholic Science and Technology University and a proposed teaching hospital, both intended to address critical gaps in higher education and healthcare in the Savannah Region. These initiatives are expected to create a knowledge and innovation corridor that benefits local communities and contributes to workforce development in key sectors such as science, technology, engineering, and health.
China’s support for higher education in Ghana is part of a broader trend of educational cooperation. Historically, China has funded and supported university infrastructure development in Ghana, including earlier phases of university campus expansions and capacity building projects under bilateral development agreements. In previous decades, China’s educational investment has included facilities and training programmes that strengthen institutional capacity and foster people-to-people exchanges, aspects that continue to define the partnership’s collaborative spirit.
