'Fix the economy, not label degrees useless' - Kwaku Azar slams Adutwum

Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has criticised comments by former Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum describing some university programmes as ‘useless,’ arguing that Ghana should focus on fixing its economy rather than labelling academic degrees as worthless.

In a post shared on Facebook on July 5, 2026, Kwaku Azar said graduate unemployment is driven not only by the relevance of university programmes but also by the country's economic performance, insisting that strengthening the economy would create more opportunities for graduates across all disciplines.

"Fix the politics, and the economy has a fighting chance. Fix the economy, and far fewer degrees will be called 'degrees to nowhere," he stated.

According to Kwaku Azar, universities should be held accountable for ensuring their programmes remain relevant, but condemning entire disciplines does little to address the underlying challenges facing graduates.

He noted that many university programmes develop transferable skills such as critical thinking, research, communication, policy analysis, project management and problem-solving, which are valuable in a wide range of careers.

Kwaku Azar cited graduates of Development Studies and BA in Education (Non-Teaching) as examples, saying they contribute to government, non-governmental organisations, international agencies, educational policy, curriculum development, educational administration, corporate training and other sectors beyond traditional career paths.

Dr Adutwum names university programmes in Ghana that are wasting students' time

He argued that the focus should instead be on ensuring university curricula equip students with competencies demanded by the labour market through regular reviews and practical skills development.

Kwaku Azar also called for universities to publish graduate employment outcomes, undertake regular labour-market forecasting, tie accreditation to measurable outcomes and embed digital, analytical and entrepreneurial skills across all academic programmes.

He stressed that unemployment among graduates is not unique to the humanities or social sciences, noting that even professionals in highly specialised fields can struggle to find work in a weak economy.

"A weak economy can produce unemployed engineers, lawyers, accountants, doctors, and computer scientists just as easily as unemployed graduates in the humanities or social sciences," he indicated.

Kwaku Azar stressed that Ghana's political and economic systems require fundamental reforms to create sustainable employment opportunities for graduates.

"The question is not whether a programme is 'useful.' The question is whether we are building both an education system and an economy worthy of our graduates," he added.

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