Ghana and Japan have signed a grant agreement worth about $2.1 million to support the training of Ghanaian public sector officials under a long-running scholarship programme.

The Exchange of Notes, signed on 30 June 2026, covers Japanese Grant Assistance for the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS), valued at 341 million Japanese Yen.

Ghana’s Chief Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu, signed on behalf of the government, while Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, Yoshimoto Hiroshi, signed for the Japanese government.

Officials say the funding will support the implementation of the scholarship programme between April 2027 and December 2033, with disbursements planned in five phases.

Under the initiative, selected young Ghanaian public sector workers will have the opportunity to pursue two-year master’s degree programmes and three-year PhD studies at leading Japanese universities, including Kobe University, Ritsumeikan University, Nagasaki University, the International Christian University and the International University of Japan.

The programme is designed to strengthen Ghana’s public sector by equipping participants with advanced knowledge, technical expertise and leadership skills to support national development and institutional reform.

Since its introduction in Ghana in 2012, about 143 public officials have benefited from the JDS programme, highlighting Japan’s continued support for Ghana’s human resource development and the broader partnership between the two countries.

By Blessed EDUAMOAH DADZIE