The Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced a substantial increase in the book and research allowance for staff in tertiary institutions. The allocation has been raised from GH¢408 million to GH¢610 million for the 2025 academic year.
This announcement follows growing pressure from key teacher unions — the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), and the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) — who had threatened a nationwide strike over delays in the disbursement of the allowance.
Speaking at the 22nd Biennial Conference of UTAG on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting academic staff. He indicated that the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, is working to ensure the prompt release of the funds.
“In recent months, there were concerns and threats of industrial action over the book and research allowance. I’m pleased to announce that the government has increased this year’s allocation to GH¢610 million, up from GH¢408 million, and the disbursement process is underway,” he said.
The increased funding is expected to ease tensions between the government and tertiary education unions. These groups have consistently emphasized the importance of timely and adequate research funding in enhancing the quality of teaching and academic output across universities, technical universities, and colleges of education in Ghana.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Nhyiraba Solomon Nartey
