About Us

The Spio-Garbrah Foundation (SGF) was founded by Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah on September 9, 2023, during his 70th birthday, in honor of three generations of educators, all of whom had made important contributions to the educational advancement of the Gold Coast and Ghana. They are Josiah Spio-Garbrah, Britton Spio-Garbrah, and Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.

Josiah Spio-Garbrah (1876-1948) first Inspector of Schools in the Gold Coast, from circa 1920-40, was the second highest officer in the Education Department under Governor Gordon Guggisberg’s administration, and the most senior African in the Education Department of the 1930s. He was the only black member of a 4-person Committee established in 1920 by Governor Guggisberg to advise on the future of Education in the Gold Coast. This Committee, amongst other ideas, recommended the establishment of Achimota School. Hence Josiah Spio-Garbrah is recorded as the first black person to have been involved in the founding of Achimota.

Britton Spio-Garbrah (1913-88) attended Achimota School, Wesley Teachers Training College, and taught Achimota from 1935-1953. He was the founding Headmaster of Konongo-Odumase Secondary School from 1953-58. After becoming the first African Deputy Director of Broadcasting (1958-63), he was appointed by President Nkrumah as Ghana’s Ambassador to Tunisia, and later to Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary. After his retirement from the diplomatic service, he accepted an appointment to rejoin the Teaching Staff of Achimota School.

Ekwow Spio-Garbrah was educated at Achimota Primary and Secondary Schools. He attended the University of Ghana, and later studied in the USA. He worked for the World Bank and the African Development Bank before being appointed as Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States. He was appointed as Minister of Communication and then as Minister of Education. At the Education Ministry he created the Ghana Education Trust Fund, which receives 2 and 1/2% from the VAT each year for its sustainable resourcing. He was appointed the founding President of Dominion University College, and utilized his position as CEO of the Commonwealth Telecoms Organization to organize hundreds of knowledge-sharing events and training programs throughout the Commonwealth. He created the African Business Centre for Developing Education in 2012, was appointed Chairman of the African Education Trust Fund in 2022, and was elected a member of the Achimota School Endowment Trust Fund Committee in June 2023.

The Spio-Garbrah Foundation is committed to transforming the lives of young people in Ghana and Africa by providing them with the education and skills they need to compete more successfully in the global market.