All is set for the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) to be renamed following Parliament’s approval of amendments affecting three public universities on December 19, 2025, the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has disclosed.
AAMUSTED gained autonomy in 2020 under Act 1026 of the Parliament of Ghana. The University was formed from the College of Technology Education, Kumasi (COLTEK), and the College of Agriculture Education (CAGRIC), Asante-Mampong, which were previously campuses of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW).
According to Dr Apaak, the decision to rename the institution forms part of a broader effort to depoliticise higher education and restore public universities to their founding identities.
Speaking at the University’s fourth congregation ceremony over the weekend, Dr Apaak said the changes were strategic rather than cosmetic.
“Names matter. They communicate identity, mandate and purpose. This is not about erasing history but about allowing our universities to focus on their core mission of learning, research and service to society,” he stated.
He described AAMUSTED as a frontline institution in Ghana’s fight against youth unemployment, noting that it equips graduates not only to seek jobs but also to create them.
Dr Apaak praised the University’s contribution to national initiatives such as the Adwumawura Programme, implemented in partnership with the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, which has trained thousands of young Ghanaians to transform innovative ideas into viable enterprises.
He commended the Governing Council, management, faculty and staff for steering the University with resilience, noting that student enrolment had more than doubled in less than five years—from 17,600 in 2020 to over 38,000 in 2025.
For his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, announced that a total of 8,165 students graduated at the ceremony. The graduates comprised 518 master’s degree holders, 5,701 bachelor’s degree recipients, 1,048 diploma graduates and 877 certificate earners.
Professor Sarfo highlighted the University’s rapid expansion, stating that student enrolment rose to 38,692 in the 2024/2025 academic year from 30,453 the previous year.
He said AAMUSTED currently runs more than 160 programmes, all fully accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, and has secured international grants worth millions of dollars to support projects such as a Digital Skills Development Centre and a Digital Marketing Laboratory.
Despite the achievements, the Vice-Chancellor cautioned that the student-to-lecturer ratio remained below national standards, forcing the University to rely heavily on part-time and contract staff at high cost.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE,
KUMASI
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