Ghana and Nigeria implement tertiary education and staff support funding

In Ghana, the Ministry of Education has disbursed GH¢917 million to more than 300,000 students under the No-Fee-Stress policy. Introduced in 2025, the initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians regarding tertiary education costs. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu stated the investment reflects a commitment to ensuring financial difficulties do not prevent qualified students from pursuing higher education. To address concerns regarding long-term sustainability, the Ministry and the Student Loan Trust Fund are exploring alternative funding models.

In Nigeria, the Federal Government is processing a N1.7 billion balance under the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). Following an initial disbursement of N13.3 billion to 7,450 beneficiaries, the remaining funds are being managed through the institutional onboarding pipeline. The N15 billion total was transferred to the Bank of Industry, which acts as the fund custodian. The TISSF provides interest-free loans of up to N10 million to tertiary institution workers to support personal and livelihood needs, featuring a one-year moratorium and a five-year repayment period.