Free Senior High School (SHS) program has cost the government over GH¢12 billion since its launch in 2017.

This initiative was designed to eliminate financial barriers to secondary education, benefiting over 5.7 million students in public schools and aiming to build a skilled workforce to support national industries.

Speaking at the 13th AGI Ghana Industry and Quality Awards in Accra, Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam highlighted that the substantial investment in education is expected to yield significant long-term benefits for the nation.

“The spending on the free SHS is not by accident but by international means because the 5.7 million Ghanaian children will bring returns one day. The skills these young people have acquired will bring huge returns into the economy in the near future,” he added.

The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) instituted the annual AGI Ghana Industry and Quality Awards to reward companies and industries in different areas of business performance.

This year's event was held on the theme "Navigating the uncertainties of our business landscape to sustain productivity."

It was organised in partnership with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) with support from other corporate entities.

A total of eight categories and 23 sector awards were given to companies excelling in industry and innovation over the past year. Nestlé Ghana Ltd. was honoured as the Overall Best Industrial Company of the Year.

Among the other notable winners were Petrosol Platinum Energy Ltd, Softcare FM Manufacturing Company, Pioneer Business Investment Services, Enterprise Computing Ltd, Sesa Recycling Ltd, Ahodwo Farms, and Crocodile Matchets Ltd.