Ghana seeks Qatar’s help to set up Islamic medical school

Ghana’s Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has formally appealed to the Government of Qatar for financial support to establish an Islamic medical school at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in the Northern Region.

Speaking during a diplomatic engagement, Iddrisu requested concessionary financing to make the project a reality. He noted that the proposed medical school would improve access to healthcare training in northern Ghana and position students to compete globally in Islamic medicine.

“This partnership is part of a broader strategy to bridge regional disparities in healthcare and education,” the Minister said. “If you can give us friendly concessionary financing, the ummah in that area can fully benefit.”

He also stressed the importance of deepening Ghana-Qatar relations through knowledge exchange, best practices, and investments in the education sector.

As part of Ghana’s broader education reforms, Iddrisu announced a comprehensive review of the Islamic curriculum for basic schools. The reform, he said, will begin at the kindergarten level and promote Arabic language instruction nationwide.

Looking ahead, the Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to international education cooperation, revealing that the country will actively participate in the Global Education Conference in Geneva this September.

Qatar’s Ambassador to Ghana, Khalid Bin Jabor Al Mesallam, welcomed the proposal and reiterated Qatar’s dedication to supporting Ghana’s educational development.