Dr. Apaak urges philanthropists to align education funding with national priorities

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has urged philanthropists and development partners supporting education in Ghana to align their interventions with national priorities to avoid fragmented projects and ensure their contributions produce lasting improvements.

He said philanthropic organisations would have greater impact when their investments complement the government’s education plans rather than operate independently.

Addressing participants at the African Philanthropy Network (APN) Biennial Assembly and fireside conversation with the founder and chair of the IDP Foundation in Accra, Dr. Apaak outlined five areas where philanthropists should focus their support.

He urged development partners to begin by aligning their interventions with national strategies, particularly the Education Strategic Plan.

“Start with our plan, not alongside it. Philanthropy has the most impact when it is designed around national priorities like the Education Strategic Plan rather than running in parallel,” he said.

Dr. Apaak also encouraged philanthropists to invest in areas where government processes may make it difficult to move quickly, using their resources to test new approaches, gather evidence and take risks that public budgets may not easily accommodate.

He further called for greater transparency in sharing lessons from funded projects, arguing that evidence from philanthropic interventions should inform national policy and budget decisions.

“Share what you learn, openly, and in forms that can inform policy and budget decisions,” he stated.

Another priority he identified was strengthening education systems rather than concentrating only on individual projects.

Dr. Apaak said support for regulation, education data, teacher development and school leadership would have benefits beyond the lifespan of a single grant.

He also cautioned against poorly coordinated interventions by multiple funders working on the same challenges in different directions.

“And please, coordinate with each other. When several funders work on the same problem in different directions, it creates a burden for schools and for the Ministry. A shared table helps everyone,” he said.

The Ministry, in turn, pledged to maintain an open channel of engagement with philanthropic partners and consider evidence generated through such collaborations when developing policy.

“In return, the Ministry will keep our doors open, with a clear point of engagement for philanthropic partners, and we will take the evidence from these partnerships seriously in policy,” Dr. Apaak said.

His remarks highlight the government’s position that philanthropic support should complement public education investment, strengthen institutional capacity and contribute to broader national development objectives.

The engagement was held as Ghana hosted the African Philanthropy Network’s biennial gathering, bringing together philanthropists, funders and partners from across the continent.