Minister Ahmed Ibrahim pledges education upgrade to boost Banda’s development

Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources and Banda MP Ahmed Ibrahim has stressed that government investment in education infrastructure is essential for building the human capital needed to drive sustainable development in the district.

Speaking during an inspection of ongoing GETFund projects at Bandaman Senior High Technical School, he argued that the district must move beyond reliance on agriculture and deliberately invest in education and skills training to harness opportunities from major regional projects.

The minister highlighted that 44,000 acres of land in the Banda District have been acquired for the Bui Hydro Dam project, displacing farming‑dependent communities and underscoring the need for technical and scientific expertise to benefit from the initiative.

He noted that while the Bui Power Authority employs roughly 644 workers, only a small fraction are from the area, and warned that without scientific training the project’s long‑term sustainability could be compromised.

To address this, Ibrahim said the district is prioritising secondary and technical education with a focus on STEM, aiming to produce engineers, doctors, accountants and other professionals who can fill jobs in key institutions and projects locally and beyond.

The upgrade includes a modern STEM science laboratory and other facilities intended to transform the school into one of the region’s leading secondary institutions.

Bandaman Senior High Technical School, established in 2010, currently serves 687 students but has struggled with inadequate infrastructure, including an abandoned E‑Block that limits teaching effectiveness.

Headmaster Ebenezer Kofi Latah explained that overcrowded dining halls and fully‑occupied girls’ dormitories force the school to split break periods into multiple batches, reducing instructional time and compromising the learning environment.

Under GETFund’s New Targeted Emergency Projects, nine major developments are underway, including a 2,000‑capacity dining hall and kitchen, two new dormitory blocks for boys and girls, seven teachers’ bungalows, a headmaster’s residence, an 18‑unit classroom block, a science laboratory, an administration and library block, laboratory equipment, boreholes and site works such as a gatehouse.

Zonal Consultant Simon Mawuli Sabakpo of AESL reported that some teacher housing units could be completed within a month, with other facilities being accelerated to meet schedule.

The headmaster said the new science laboratory and overall infrastructure will relieve current constraints and enable the school to admit more students while improving teaching and learning conditions.

Nana Peh Aboatea II, Acting President of the Banda Traditional Council, called on indigenes at home and abroad to support efforts to enhance educational infrastructure across the district.