The Quest for Industrialisation and Development in Ghana: Pathways for Accessible and Equitable University and Higher Education

In recent decades, Ghana has made great strides in developing higher education, which has transformed lives, reduced poverty, and boosted prosperity. Equity and access to higher education have sparked one of the most highly charged debates of the past decade. Thus, scholars and researchers have tried to gain a better understanding of Ghana's higher education development from a variety of perspectives. In today’s world, tertiary education is an important concept that contributes to national development and economic growth. Ghana’s higher education has achieved tremendous growth in various areas including, increased access and participation, a growing private sector, a transformative policy environment, and expansion of academic facilities. However, in the development of higher education, barriers to access, inequalities in access to quality education, and unequal participation among women and minorities persist. Therefore, Ghana lags behind in innovation, industrialization, and national development, despite commendable progress in higher education. In this regard, this study answered four questions. (1) What is the significance of enhanced access and equity to higher education and university education to innovation and industrialization in Ghana? (2) What is the extent to which policies have made it possible to ensure access and equity to higher education in Ghana? (3) What are the factors compromising access to the higher education system in Ghana? (4) What are the possible options for addressing equity and access challenges in higher education? A qualitative research approach, entailing analysis of documents and publications was conducted. The documentary review provided a quick way of coming up with the research findings. Particular attention was on examining the relevance of enhanced access to higher education in Ghana’s developmental needs. The data were analysed thematically, with the findings presented in line with the research questions. The study showed that universities’ role comes into action as a basic resource with their human assets and research institutions capable of producing knowledge, creativity, and innovation represented in researchers, research centres, and scientific departments. Universities are considered a resource of economic development and the most important inputs of production processes for the knowledge-based economy in this century. Education policy points out that higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education. Access is compromised by a number of factors, including brain drain, resource inadequacies, and delays in decision-making. The study recommended that the government of Ghana should create a good environment for industrial growth through the provision of funds to universities for research and development. Furthermore, many organizations need to work to close the gaps as a way to achieve education equity. There is also a need for the universities to develop and promote a programmatic approach to research and innovation for the generation of knowledge, products, goods, and services that respond to the needs of industry, commerce, and society by conducting consultative workshops with relevant stakeholders. Keywords: Access, Equity, Higher Education, Industrialisation, Innovation; National Development DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-24-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2022