In a dramatic diplomatic move, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, successfully intervened to prevent the cancellation of two major World Bank-funded projects worth a total of $400 million, including the critical Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).
According to Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the then Minister of Education, the World Bank had decided to pull the funding for both GALOP and the Jobs and Skills Project shortly after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration assumed office in 2017. The cancellation threatened to leave a massive gap in Ghana’s efforts to improve foundational education and youth employment. Faced with the imminent loss, he made an urgent appeal to Otumfuo to intervene.
Action
Taking the plea seriously, Otumfuo travelled personally to the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C. In a high-stakes engagement with the Bank’s leadership, the Asantehene directly pressed for a reversal of the decision.
The King’s intervention proved decisive. The World Bank immediately reversed its cancellation, instructing its teams to release the full $400 million, approximately $200 million for GALOP and $200 million for the Jobs and Skills Project.
Impact on education
With the funds secured, GALOP was channelled into improving learning outcomes in Ghana’s most disadvantaged basic schools. The project supported teacher training, strengthened school management accountability, and funded the National Standardised Test (NST) for primary learners.
In effect, Otumfuo’s diplomatic stroke not only saved the education project from collapse but also secured vital resources that continue to benefit thousands of schoolchildren across the nation.
