GETFund's Year of Renewal: Paul Adjei drives reforms, delivers results

The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has marked a transformative year of institutional renewal, strategic reforms and tangible educational investments under the leadership of its Administrator, Paul Adjei, following his appointment by President John Dramani Mahama as part of the government’s Education Reset agenda.

The appointment signalled a deliberate shift towards strengthening education financing as a cornerstone of national development, with a renewed focus on transparency, accountability, equity and measurable outcomes.

Over the past year, GETFund has moved decisively to align its operational systems with this national vision, reinforcing governance structures, enforcing financial discipline, and improving responsiveness to schools, students and key stakeholders across the country.

Supporting this transformation has been Deputy Administrator Alhassan Sualihu Dandaawa, whose operational leadership has enhanced coordination and accelerated the implementation of the Fund’s core mandate.

The progress recorded reflects strong sector collaboration and policy alignment.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, provided strategic direction to ensure GETFund interventions remained consistent with national education priorities, while Deputy Minister Dr Clement Abass Apaak championed inclusive education and STEM-focused initiatives.

Collaboration with the Ministry of Finance also proved critical, with the ministry providing fiscal backing, commitment authorisations, and timely fund releases, while maintaining strict public financial management standards.

Within the year, GETFund released GH¢1.1 billion between January and August 2025 to support the Free Senior High School programme. Additionally, GH¢200 million was disbursed to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to facilitate the 2025 WASSCE registration, while GH¢300 million was allocated to the Youth Employment Agency to support job creation initiatives.

In the area of scholarships, the Fund fully settled fees for more than 7,000 local scholarship beneficiaries across 133 tertiary institutions.

In a major transparency boost, scholarship application timelines for the 2025 and 2026 academic years were publicly announced for the first time in several years, restoring predictability and public confidence.

Inclusion also remained a central pillar of the Fund’s work. GETFund committed GH¢50 million annually from 2025 to 2028 to support Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, reinforcing the government’s commitment to equitable access to higher education.

A major milestone came on December 4, 2025, when President Mahama launched the nationwide rollout of the GETFund-financed Dext STEMBox Initiative.

The programme is delivering portable science laboratories to 667 basic schools, particularly targeting rural and underserved communities to bridge the practical science learning gap.

Beyond funding disbursements, GETFund intensified stakeholder engagement, working closely with heads of assisted secondary schools, international development partners, and the Ghana Armed Forces.

Management and staff have also demonstrated renewed professionalism and commitment to delivering the Fund’s mandate.

These leadership and governance reforms have begun attracting national recognition, including media features highlighting strengthened integrity, accountability and operational efficiency within the Fund.

One year after his appointment, and with the backing of his Deputy, sector ministers, the Ministry of Finance, the Board of Trustees, management and staff, Paul Adjei has positioned GETFund as a credible and results-driven vehicle for advancing President Mahama’s Education Reset vision.