Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, has issued a comprehensive call for transformative education reform in Ghana, emphasizing its critical importance for the nation's long-term development. Speaking at the 2026 Public Lecture Series at the University of Education, Winneba, on Friday, April 10, Dr. Ibn Chambas stressed that the conversation around education must move beyond mere policy adjustments to address deeper structural issues and reshape the very soul of Ghana's future. He outlined three critical pillars for this transformation: relevance, resilience, and responsibility, advocating for a shift from information transmission to mindset empowerment.

A core aspect of his call is a national mindset shift towards technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skilled professions. Dr. Ibn Chambas argued that artisans, technicians, and skilled workers are indispensable for building an industrialized, self-reliant Ghana. He urged policymakers, educators, and society to abandon the perception that TVET is inferior to academic pathways, noting recent progress with TVET enrolment almost doubling to 14,000 in recent years, indicating a gradual change in perception. He stressed that Ghana's development ambitions cannot be realized without a skilled workforce relevant to industry and local economies.

Dr. Ibn Chambas underscored the need for education to prepare learners for uncertainty, highlighting resilience as a key objective. This includes developing climate literacy, digital competence, critical thinking, and mental well-being. He described a resilient learner as one who can