The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has appealed to the Government of Qatar to provide friendly concessionary financing to establish an Islamic medical school at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana’s Northern Region.
The initiative aims to expand access to medical education and enhance healthcare delivery in the northern part of the country.
According to the Minister, the new medical school will serve as a center of excellence for training students in Islamic medicine, helping them compete in the global medical field.
“This partnership is part of a broader strategy to bridge regional disparities in healthcare and education,” Mr. Iddrisu stated. “If you can give us a friendly concessionary financing for this, the ummah in that particular area can make use of it.”
He further emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral ties between Ghana and Qatar, particularly in the area of education.
“We want to deepen institutional collaboration between our two governments to share knowledge, adopt best practices, and attract investment into our education sector,” he noted.
Mr. Iddrisu also revealed that the Islamic curriculum for basic education will undergo a comprehensive review, starting from the kindergarten level, to promote the teaching of Arabic in basic schools across Ghana.
Looking ahead, the Minister affirmed Ghana’s commitment to participating in the upcoming Global Education Conference in Geneva in September this year, positioning the country as an active player in international educational development.
Qatar’s Ambassador to Ghana, Khalid Bin Jabor Al Mesallam, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to education and development partnerships.
“There is a need to explore more opportunities in support of Ghana’s education sector,” he said.
