The Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF) has unveilled a GH¢20million scholarship scheme to empowering women from mining communities.
In partnership with the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), the binitiative seeks to increase female representation in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
CEO of MIIF, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, speaking at the launch emphasised the importance of investing in human capital alongside financial investments in the mining sector.
“We believe that just investing in equity, investing in the value chain etc. without investing in human capacity or human development will really just take us nowhere; you know, we hit a wall at a point in time,” Mr. Koranteng stated.
Mr. Koranteng highlighted the stark gender imbalance in the mining industry, noting: “There’s a huge gender disparity.
The scholarship programme aims to support up to 100 women annually from needy families in mining communities, focusing on bright students pursuing STEM course – particularly in engineering.
This project is part of MIIF’s aim to align human resource development with government policies.
The MIIF-UMaT Women in Mining Scholarship Scheme is not just about addressing gender inequity; it’s also a strategic investment in Ghana’s future.
The CEO stressed the paramount importance of human capital in national development, particularly in the context of natural resource management. “As we see in the mining sector, the resources are good – but the resources do not develop a nation. It is brains that develop a nation,” Koranteng asserted.
Mr. Koranteng revealed plans for expanding the programme’s scope, stating: “We’re looking at whether we can support other universities like the University of Ghana and University of Science and Technology.”