Gov’t Assures Ga State of Inclusion in Indigenous Language Policy

The government has assured the Ga State that the Ga language will not be excluded from any indigenous language policy within Ghana’s education system.

Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, gave the assurance 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.

Hon. Iddrisu said the government, under President John Dramani Mahama, remains committed to an education system that reflects Ghana’s cultural diversity, stressing that language is central to culture and national 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 to pursue an indigenous language policy that excludes the Ga language.”

He assured the Ga Mantse that no policy under his leadership as Minister for Education would sideline the Ga language, adding that inclusivity remains a core principle of the government’s education agenda.

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 foundation.

Hon. Iddrisu reiterated his advocacy for indigenous languages to play a central role in education, particularly at the early stages of learning, while acknowledging that English remains Ghana’s official language and the main language of instruction at all levels.

He outlined several Ghanaian languages currently recognised under national education policy, including Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Dagbani, Dagaare, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, Nzema, Gurene and Fante.

The minister also disclosed that government is working to include sign language as the thirteenth officially recognised language in the education system, describing the move as part of efforts to promote inclusivity and equal access to education.

The visit comes amid public criticism following claims that the Ga language had been excluded from Ghanaian languages integrated into Google’s indigenous language tools for schools.