Russia Awards 237 Scholarships to Ghanaian Students, 97 Slots Go to Agriculture

• The Russian Embassy in Accra awarded 237 scholarships to Ghanaian students for the 2026/27 academic year, nearly doubling its initial allocation of 120
• Russian Ambassador Andrei Ordash said the concentration of agriculture scholarships reflected Ghana's priority to develop its farming sector
• The scholarship expansion followed assurances made to Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa during a visit to Moscow

The Russian Embassy in Accra has awarded 237 scholarships to Ghanaian students for admission into Russian universities during the 2026/27 academic year, with 97 of those places reserved for students pursuing specialist programmes in agriculture.

Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Andrei Ordash, disclosed this during an interview, noting that the heavy weighting towards agriculture was deliberate.

He explained that Ghana's ambition to grow its agricultural sector required trained specialists, and that Russia was positioned to provide that expertise.

"Without qualified national specialists, it is impossible to implement any agricultural project, energy project, modern industrial programme, digital transformation or development of the mining sector," Ordash said.

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He added that Russian companies were already eyeing expanded operations in African markets, with interest in food processing, agricultural machinery supply and technology transfer to countries including Ghana.

Russia is one of Ghana's key trading partners, supplying fertiliser, grains and petroleum products. The ambassador noted that education remained central to Russia's broader cooperation framework with Ghana.

Scholarship Numbers Nearly Doubled After Moscow Visit

The embassy had originally intended to offer 120 scholarships this year.

However, after Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, visited Moscow, Russia committed to doubling its scholarship allocation for young Ghanaians.

That pledge led to an additional 117 places, bringing the total to 237.

Ordash said more than 900 young Ghanaians applied to study in Russia this year. He also noted that over 500 Ghanaians are currently enrolled in Russian language courses at the University of Ghana alone, an indication of growing interest in Russia-Ghana academic ties.

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The ambassador's remarks covered several areas of bilateral relations, including trade and investment, Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and the forthcoming Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.

The Graphic Communications Group had earlier reported that Russia doubled its annual scholarship allocation from 120 to 240.

That report also cited Ablakwa as confirming that the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation in Ghana's peaceful nuclear energy programme and green transition objectives.

Source: YEN.com.gh