By Ashiadey Dotse
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured the Ga State that the government will not introduce any indigenous language policy that excludes the Ga language, describing such an omission as “unthinkable”.
He made the remarks during a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse, Nii Teiko Tei Tsuru II, at the Ga Mantse Palace in Accra on Monday, January 26, 2026.
Mr Iddrisu said the government, under President John Dramani Mahama, is committed to an education system that reflects Ghana’s cultural diversity, stressing that language remains central to culture and identity.
“Every society is defined by its culture, and language sits at the centre of that definition,” he said. “It would be unthinkable for a government under President John Dramani Mahama, with me as Minister for Education, to pursue integration that does not reflect our diversity as a people. For that reason, it would be unthinkable to roll out any indigenous language policy that excludes the Ga language.”
He assured the Ga Mantse that he would not oversee any policy that sidelines the Ga language, adding that such an approach would not be tolerated by the government.
The minister noted that Ghana’s commitment to multilingualism dates back to the era of the country’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and said the current administration intends to build on that legacy.
Mr Iddrisu said he has consistently advocated for indigenous languages to play a central role in education, particularly in the early stages of learning, while acknowledging that English remains Ghana’s official language and the primary language of instruction at all levels.
He listed several Ghanaian languages already recognised in national education policy, including Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Dagbani, Dagaare, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, Nzema, Gurene and Fante.
The education minister also revealed that the government is working to include sign language as the thirteenth officially recognised language in the education system, describing the move as a step towards greater inclusivity.
The visit follows public criticism over claims that the Ga language was excluded from Ghanaian languages integrated into Google’s indigenous language tools for schools.
