By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 27, GNA – Ghana is to host a new Global Education Centre of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to expand access to digital learning and employment resources for students enrolled in BYU-Pathway Worldwide.
Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church in a statement, said the facility under construction in Accra would provide technology, study space and other resources to support students’ academic and professional development.
He said the centre, located near the Accra Ghana Temple, was expected to house more than 100 computers to facilitate online learning.
“Early next year, we will dedicate the BYU-Pathway Global Education Center here in Accra,” Elder Gilbert said in an interview during a visit to Ghana as part of a tour of the Church’s Africa West Area.
He said the facility would bring together various aspects of students’ academic and professional lives, enabling them to study, access employment resources, and participate in educational activities.
Elder Gilbert said the development marked a significant expansion of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, which began in Accra in 2011 with a small group of students sharing a single computer.
“Today, across all of West Africa, we have almost 40,000 students,” he said, highlighting the programme’s growth since its introduction.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide provides online higher education in fields including accounting, project management, social media marketing, digital marketing and healthcare management.
The programme allows students to begin with job-skills certificates before progressing to associate and bachelor’s degrees, providing opportunities to acquire professional skills alongside academic qualifications.
Elder Gilbert said the programme used the same curriculum and assessments as the Church’s universities in the United States.
He said the new centre was also intended to address practical barriers to online education by providing students with access to computers, internet connectivity, and a conducive learning environment.
The Church’s education initiative also provides access to institute classes and employment resources, supporting students as they pursue their academic and career goals.
The Accra facility forms part of a broader expansion of Global Education Centers in areas where students have limited access to educational resources and digital infrastructure.
Elder Gilbert said the initiative was driven by the need to create opportunities for young people to develop their abilities and contribute meaningfully to society.
“These students are capable. They can do amazing things. They just need the opportunity,” he said.
The initiative comes amid concerns about the transition of Ghanaian young people from education into employment, with academic qualifications not always translating into job opportunities.
Elder Gilbert said the new centre represented a major change from the programme’s beginnings in Ghana, when students relied on a single computer, to a facility expected to provide more than 100 computers and a wider range of educational and professional resources.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei