MIIF awards GH¢460,000 in scholarships to 45 female students at UMaT

The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has awarded full scholarships worth GH¢460,000 ($31,000) to 45 female students from mining communities at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), part of an initiative to boost women’s participation in the country’s extractive sector.

The awards fall under the Women from Mining Communities (WomCoM) scheme, launched last year to support academically gifted but financially disadvantaged women pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and mining-related fields.

Under the scheme, 43 undergraduates each received GH¢10,000 while two postgraduate students were awarded GH¢15,000 to cover tuition, accommodation and other expenses.

“This is not tokenism. Our goal is not to provide partial help, we are here to make real impact,” the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MIIF, Justina Nelson, said in remarks delivered on her behalf by Yakubu Mohammed, a Member of Parliament.

“Beyond financial support, we are lifting burdens, raising aspirations and changing narratives in communities that have often been left behind.”

The fund said the 45 awardees were selected from more than 100 applicants through a vetting process overseen by a five-member committee of MIIF and UMaT officials.

The CEO added that MIIF plans to expand the programme to include Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to reach more women from mining areas.

“You were chosen not only for your academic potential but because you embody hope,” she told the students.

“Strive for excellence and remember you are paving the way for many more girls who will look to you and believe they too can succeed.”

This year’s initiative was co-funded by local banks including OmniBSIC, Access, Zenith, First Atlantic and First Bank, alongside consumer goods maker Procus Ghana Ltd. Nelson described their backing as “a new phase of collaboration between MIIF and corporate Ghana in advancing education and gender equity.”

The Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Richard Amankwah, welcomed the initiative, saying investments in people were more valuable than the country’s mineral wealth.

“Minerals in the soil will one day be depleted, but the impact of educating these young women will last for generations,” he said.

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