Skip to main content

Addressing Quality Issues in African Higher Education: A Focus on Ghana’s Emerging Private, Graduate, Business Higher Education Sector

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Africa’s Economic Sectors

Abstract

The chapter addresses supply, demand, and policy-related challenges faced by private, graduate business universities in Ghana to obtain strategies to improve the quality standard. Reviews of literature and published documents as well as lessons learned from the history of Ghana’s public graduate education sector reveals that major challenges include the profit motive of universities’ founders, inadequate funding of universities, as well as moral hazard and adverse selection problems related to the pool of available graduate students and graduate schools. The National Accreditation Board (NAB), now Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) is resource-challenged and struggles to keep up with the numerous private universities springing up.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abraham, Susan, and Stephen Armah. 2017. “A Comparison of Productivity Differences Between Foreign and Locally Trained Lecturers in Ghana’s Higher Educational Sector.” Annual meeting of the Illinois Economics Association, DePaul University, 1 East Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL, USA (October 14 and 15).

    Google Scholar 

  • Adei, Stephen, and Stephen Armah. 2018. “Ghana Beyond Aid and What It Will Take to Achieve It.” Paper Presented as part of the Ashesi Economics Lecture Series. Delivered at Norton-Motulsky Hall, King Engineering Building, Ashesi University, Berekuso, E/R, Ghana, Fall 2018 (September).

    Google Scholar 

  • Adeogun, A. A, S. T. Subai, and G. I. Osifila. 2009. “Deregulation of University Education in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects.” Florida Journal of Educational Administration and Policy 3 (1, Winter): 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adu, Kajsa Hallberg. 2014. “The Future of Postgraduate School in Africa: A Discussion Paper.” Presented at the ICAS 2014 Conference in the Teaching and Researching African Studies Panel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akindele, M. 2013. “Evolution of Private Universities in Nigeria: Matters Arising and the Way Forward.” Educational Research and Reviews 8 (2): 41–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P., and J. Knight. 2007. “The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities.” Journal of Studies in International Education 11 (3/4): 290–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amponsah, E. B., and Luke N. Onuoha. 2013. “The Performance and Challenges of Private Universities in Ghana and Nigeria.” International Journal of Business and Social Science 4 (5).

    Google Scholar 

  • Amwelmoo, Atarebono, and Stephen Armah 2019. “Investigating Student Success Factors in a Top-Quality Ghanaian University: A Focus on Ashesi University in Ghana.” Paper presented at the Illinois Economics Association, De-Paul University, I East Jackson Blvd (November 1–2).

    Google Scholar 

  • Atuahene, Francis. 2006. “A Policy Analysis of the Financing of Tertiary Education Institutions in Ghana: An Assessment of the Objectives and the Impact of the Ghana Education Trust Fund.” A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy. Ohio, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azameti, Moses, 2013. “Quality Assurance in Private Tertiary Institutions: Ghana’s Experience.” International Journal of Education Foundations and Management 1 (2): 153–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barro, Robert, J. 1991. “Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 106 (2): 407–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barro, Robert, and Jong-Wha Lee 2001. “International Data on Educational Attainment: Updates and Implications.” Oxford Economic Papers 53 (3): 541–563.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baryeh, J. O. 2009. “Higher Education Quality Assurance in Ghana: How the National Accreditation Board (NAB) Is Coping with the Balance Between Improvement and Accountability.” Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of a Master of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education. Institute of Education Research, Faculty of Education, University of Oslo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, Gary, K. Murphy, and R. Tamura. 1990. “Human Capital, Fertility, and Economic Growth.” Journal of Political Economy 98 (5, 2): S12–S37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benhabib, J., and M. M. Spiegel. 1994. “The Role of Human Capital in Economic Development: Evidence from Aggregate Cross-Country Time.” Journal of Monetary Economics 34 (2): 143–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boateng, John Kwame. 2014. “Barriers to Internal Quality Assurance in Ghanaian Private Tertiary Institutions.” Research on Humanities and Social Sciences 4 (2): 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darko, Samuel S. (1985). “A Historical Enquiry into the Development of the Higher Education in Ghana 1948–1984: A Study of the Major Factors That Have Controlled and Inhibited the Development of Universities in Ghana.” Doctoral Dissertation Submitted to North Texas State University, Texas, The United States (December).

    Google Scholar 

  • De La Fuente, Á., and A. Domenéch. 2006. “Human Capital in Growth Regressions: How Much Difference Does Data Quality Make?” Journal of the European Economic Association 4 (1): 1–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Domar, E. 1946. “Capital Expansion, Rate of Growth, and Employment.” Econometrica 14 (2): 137–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Khawas, E. 2003. “Accreditation in USA: Origin, Development and Future Prospects.” Paris: International Institute for Education Planning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, A. 1997. Education, Globalization and the Nation State. London: Macmillan Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Griliches, Z. 1977. “Estimating the Returns to Schooling: Some Econometric Problems.” Econometrica 45: 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, L., and D. Green. 1993. “Defining Quality.” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 18 (1): 9–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, L., & P. T. Knight. 1996. Transforming Higher Education. London, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, E. A. 2013. “Economic Growth in Developing Countries: The Role of Human Capital.” Economics of Education Review 37: 204–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, E. A., and D. D Kimko. 2000. “Schooling, Labor Force Quality, and the Growth of Nations.” American Economic Review 90 (5): 1184–1208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, Eric A., and Ludger Woessmann. 20007. Education Quality and Economic Growth. Washington DC: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, Eric A., and Ludger Woessmann. 2012. “Schooling, Educational Achievement, and the Latin American Growth Puzzle.” Journal of Development Economics 99 (2): 497–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horwitz, F. 2005. “HR Can Advance Competitiveness.” Executive Business Brief 10: 50–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iruonagbe, C. T., D. Imhonopi, and M. E. Egharevba. 2015. “Higher Education in Nigeria and the Emergence of Private Universities.” International Journal of Education and Research 3 (2, February).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. 1988. “On the Mechanics of Economic Development.” Journal of Monetary Economics 22: 3–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R., Jr. 1990. “Why Doesn’t Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries?” American Economic Review 80: 92–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. 2015. “Reflections on New Growth Theory ‘Human Capital and Growth’.” American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings 105 (5): 85–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mankiw, G. N. 2009. Principles of Microeconomics. OH: Southwestern-Cengage Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mankiw, N. G., D. Romer, and D. N. Weil. 1992. “Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 107 (2): 407–437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Materu, Peter. 2007. Higher Education Quality Assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Status, Challenges, Opportunities, and Promising Practices. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazrui, Ali A. 1978. “The African University as a Multinational Corporation: Problems of Penetration and Dependency.” In Education and Colonialism, edited Philip G. Altbach and Gail Paradise, 331–352. New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, Sanjay. 2007. Quality Assurance in Higher Education: An Assessment. Bangalore, India.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Accreditations Board (NAB). 2019. The NAB Website, 2020 (www.nab.gov.gh).

  • Nelson, Richard, and Edmund S. Phelps. 1966. “Investment in Humans, Technological Diffusion, and Economic Growth.” The American Economic Review 56 (1/2, 1, March): 69–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oseni, Michael. (2015). “Effectiveness and Desirability of Private Higher Education in Nigeria.” Journal of Educational and Social Research MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy 5 (1, January).

    Google Scholar 

  • Owusu, Felicia Akyaa. 2016. “The Role of Capital Flight in Africa’s Development and the Way Forward: The Case of Ghana and Nigeria.” Ashesi University Dissertation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelinescu, Elena. 2015. “The Impact of Human Capital on Economic Growth.” Procedia Economics and Finance 22: 184–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. 1990. “Human Capital and Growth: Theory and Evidence.” Carnegie Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy 32: 251–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sachs, Jeffrey, and Andrew Warner. 2001. “The Curse of Natural Resources.” European Economic Review 45 (4–6): 827–838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sawyer, Akilakpa. 2004. “Challenges Facing African Universities: Selected Issues.” African Studies Review 47 (1): 1–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, L., Puls-Elvidge, S., Welzant, H., and Crawford, L. 2015. “Definitions of Quality in Higher Education: A Synthesis of the Literature.” Higher Learning Research Communications 5 (3): 3–13. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v5i3.244.

  • Seniwoliba, A. J. 2014. “Academic Quality Assurance Practices in Ghanaian Public Universities: Experience from University for Development Studies.” Global Educational Research Journal 2 (9, October): 152–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solow, R. 1956. “A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 70 (1): 65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tefferra, Damtew, and Philip G. Altbach. 2005. “African Higher Education: Challenges for the 21st Century.” Higher Education 47: 20–50. Retrieved 17 September 2005. http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/pga/pdf/African%20HE_2004.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tetteh, Abigail. 2014. Quality Assurance Management in Private Higher Education Systems: A Case Study of All Nations University. Oslo, Norway: Institute of Higher Education Research, University of Oslo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsevi, L. 2015. “Quality Assurance in Private Higher Education: The Case of Ghana.” A Dissertation Submitted to the University at Albany, State University of New York in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the of Department of Educational Administration and Policy Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Utuka, Godwin. 2011. “Demonstrating Quality: Evaluation of Institutional and Program Accreditation in Ghana.” International Journal of Vocational and Technical Education 3 (8, November): 135–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varghese, N. V. 2004. Private Higher Education in Africa. UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen Armah .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Armah, S. (2022). Addressing Quality Issues in African Higher Education: A Focus on Ghana’s Emerging Private, Graduate, Business Higher Education Sector. In: Wamboye, E.F., Fayissa, B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Africa’s Economic Sectors. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75556-0_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75556-0_17

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-75555-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-75556-0

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics