The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has tasked the newly inaugurated Governing Board of the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) to spearhead the construction of presidential libraries in honour of all former Presidents of the Republic.

He expressed concern over the lack of adequate information resources on former presidents, noting that such an initiative would be a significant step toward preserving Ghana’s national memory and promoting public knowledge of the country’s democratic journey. 

Board members

The minister made the remarks when he inaugurated the Governing Board of the GhLA, chaired by Dr Michael Ato Essuman, in Accra yesterday.

The other members include Richard Baffour Awuah, Prof Philip K. Kankam, Dr Yaw Owusu Agyeman, Judith Emefa Quarshie, Vincent Esoah and Dennis Osei-Owusu.

The rest are Churchill Nartey Darlington, Joseph Nerboi Tetteh, Rev Dr Cyril Gershon Kwao Fayose, Dr Mohammed Marzuq Abubakari, Rev Dr Gabriel Kojovi Liashiedzi, Ziblim Alhaddan Betintiche, Salome Odoom and Daniel Affadu

Reimagining

The minister charged the members to reimagine and modernise Ghana’s public library system to reflect the demands of a rapidly evolving, knowledge-driven society.

He encouraged the board to initiate public-private partnerships to establish libraries in rural communities and expand the scope to cover the free senior high schools (SHS).

Mr Iddrisu emphasised the crucial role of libraries in advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, particularly as the country prepared its human capital for the opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Renew culture of reading

The minister urged the board to also lead national efforts in fostering a renewed culture of reading, particularly among the youth, and to promote digital literacy across the country.

He noted that libraries must move beyond traditional functions and become innovative, technology-enabled learning spaces supporting lifelong learning and inclusive development.

“The future of education depends not only on classrooms, but also on the strength of our library systems,” the Minister emphasised.

For his part, the board chairperson, Dr Michael Ato Essuman, assured the minister of the board’s commitment to play a more strategic role in expanding access to information, fostering innovation, and driving educational transformation nationwide.