By Jessica Osajie / Posted February 18, 2025
Ghana’s Foreign Ministry, under the direction of Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has launched an initiative to support Ghanaian students studying abroad by establishing Student Desks in key diplomatic missions. These desks aim to provide essential consular assistance, ensuring timely support for both academic and personal matters.
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‘I am delighted to announce that on my instructions, Ghana’s Foreign Ministry has established a special department in our diplomatic missions abroad to prioritise and cater for the needs of students’, said the Minister.
In its pilot phase, Student Desks have been set up in 11 countries with significant Ghanaian student populations, including Abidjan, Beijing, Belgrade, Cotonou, Havana, Lomé, London, Moscow, Rabat, Rome, and Ottawa, with plans to expand to all diplomatic missions.
This initiative aligns with Minister Ablakwa’s broader commitment to enhancing consular support for Ghanaians abroad. During his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 31, 2025, he proposed the creation of a dedicated Consular Fund to assist Ghanaians in distress overseas, particularly those facing deportation. He emphasized the need for financial mechanisms enabling embassies and consulates to provide legal and humanitarian support, ensuring that citizens’ rights and dignity are upheld.
Additionally, Minister Ablakwa has announced plans to create a dedicated website to make bilateral scholarship opportunities more accessible to Ghanaians. He expressed concern that many scholarships offered by foreign governments go unused due to a lack of awareness and proposed a centralized online platform where all such scholarships would be published, along with application criteria. Dedicated officers would also be assigned to assist applicants, ensuring that these opportunities are fully utilized.
These initiatives reflect a comprehensive strategy to support Ghanaians abroad, focusing on educational opportunities and robust consular assistance to address various challenges faced by citizens overseas.
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Ablakwa assured that the implementation of Student Desks would not incur additional costs to taxpayers, as existing consular staff have been reassigned to oversee the programme. Officials in charge of the desks will be required to submit monthly reports to the Consular and Humanitarian Affairs Bureau, which will then forward them to the Foreign Minister.
‘This initiative will ensure that no Ghanaian student studying abroad, especially those on government scholarships, is left stranded, neglected, or frustrated when they need urgent assistance,’ Ablakwa emphasised in his post.
The initiative seeks to address longstanding challenges faced by Ghanaian students abroad. In the past, students have reported difficulties in securing urgent assistance with tuition fee facilitation, visa and immigration matters, medical emergencies, academic verification, housing and accommodation, legal aid, and emergency evacuations.
This move aligns with the Mahama administration’s broader commitment to improving the welfare of Ghanaian students overseas and enhancing the efficiency of Ghana’s diplomatic missions. The government has signalled that additional institutional reforms will follow to further strengthen support for students abroad.
The establishment of Student Desks is expected to bridge the gap between Ghanaian students and their home government, ensuring a more responsive and student-friendly diplomatic service. The Foreign Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding and refining the initiative in the coming months.
‘More institutional reforms will follow. Together, we shall reset Ghana,’ Ablakwa concluded in his post.
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