Ahmed Jinapor is the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). Before he was appointed the Director-General, he was the Deputy Director-General of GTEC. Ahmed Jinapor also worked at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). He has over a decade of experience working at UEW, where he served as head of several departments of the university.
His expertise is in the area of Curriculum Development and Implementation. He currently serves in several Governing Boards of various tertiary educational institutions and organizations.
Abstract
Abstract Title
From Ministry Control to Coordinated Regulation: Ghana’s ERB Act and the New QA Settlement
The passage of Ghana’s Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) marked a major transformation in tertiary education governance, shifting oversight from centralised ministerial control to specialised agencies. Central among these, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has assumed a leading role in accreditation, institutional audit, and program approval. This paper analyses how this regulatory settlement has strengthened quality assurance and transparency through risk-based audits, standardised accreditation, and data-driven oversight. Drawing on accreditation records (2019–2025), institutional self-evaluation reports, and stakeholder consultations, the paper examines both achievements and persistent challenges.
While oversight has enhanced program quality and safeguarded students, overlapping mandates, institutional compliance burdens, and resource constraints complicate implementation. The paper proposes a coordination model emphasising joint protocols, shared data systems, and harmonised decision cycles. Ghana’s experience suggests that regulatory specialisation must be matched by structured coordination to strike a balance between accountability and institutional autonomy. This analysis offers practical lessons for African higher education systems seeking to expand access without compromising quality or legitimacy.