Cabinet orders reversal to original names of public universities — Mahama Ayariga

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has announced that the Cabinet has approved a directive to restore the original names of all public universities that were renamed during the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the Bawku Central legislator revealed that a formal bill will soon be laid before the House to give legal effect to the decision.

“Mr. Speaker, there has been a Cabinet directive to change the names of all the universities that were renamed after individuals back to the original names they were given,” Mr. Ayariga disclosed. “A bill will be brought to this House to change and reverse all the name changes of the universities.”

The Akufo-Addo government had undertaken a nationwide renaming exercise that saw several universities and technical institutions named after prominent national figures. While some viewed the move as a gesture of honouring historical icons, others criticised it as politically biased and an attempt to rewrite national history through partisan lenses.

Institutions affected by the exercise included the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Tarkwa, renamed the George Grant University of Mines and Technology; the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS), renamed the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies; the Navrongo Campus of UDS, renamed the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences; and Ho Technical University, renamed Ephraim Amu Technical University.

The then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) fiercely opposed the decision, arguing that renaming public universities after individuals created unnecessary divisions and ignored the institutions’ founding histories and academic legacies.

If approved, the new directive will represent a major policy shift, signalling the Mahama administration’s intention to depoliticise Ghana’s higher education institutions and restore their original names and heritage.

The proposed bill, once passed, will officially re-establish the universities under their former identities, reaffirming the government’s commitment to preserving the neutrality and historical integrity of the nation’s academic institutions.