Ghana, Japan Sign US$2.11 Million Grant Agreement to Expand Human Resource Development Scholarships

Edited by: Solomon Kwabena Nana-Ansah – Paaps – 

The Governments of Ghana and Japan have signed an Exchange of Notes for a Japanese Grant Assistance package worth 341 million Japanese Yen (approximately US$2.11 million) to support the implementation of the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS).

The agreement, signed on 30 June 2026, is aimed at strengthening Ghana’s public sector by providing advanced academic training for young public officials through postgraduate studies in Japan.

The Exchange of Notes was signed on behalf of the Government of Ghana by , Chief Director of the , while , Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ghana, signed on behalf of the Government of Japan.

Under the Grant Agreement, the scholarship programme will run from 1 April 2027 to 31 December 2033 and will be implemented in five phases. The initiative will offer young Ghanaian public sector officials the opportunity to pursue two-year Master’s degree programmes and three-year Ph.D. programmes at selected Japanese institutions, including  Kobe University, Ritsumeikan University, Nagasaki University, International Christian University, and the International University of Japan.

The Japan Development Scholarship (JDS) Programme is designed to enhance Ghana’s human resource capacity by equipping public sector professionals with advanced knowledge, technical expertise, and leadership skills to support national development and public sector reforms.

Since its introduction in Ghana in 2012, the programme has benefited approximately 143 Ghanaian public officials, underscoring Japan’s continued commitment to Ghana’s socio-economic development and the deepening of the longstanding bilateral partnership between the two countries.