Ghana’s tertiary education regulator has ordered Kenneth Ashigbey, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, to immediately stop using the title “Dr.” after ruling his doctoral qualification from a Swiss institution invalid.
In a statement released Friday, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) said an internal investigation determined that Mr. Ashigbey’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree, obtained from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), did not meet the required standards for recognition in Ghana.
The directive follows a formal petition challenging the legitimacy of the degree. GTEC’s review, led by Director General Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, revealed inconsistencies between the documents provided by Mr. Ashigbey and the institution’s current naming conventions and academic practices.
While Mr. Ashigbey’s certificate, dated December 30, 2019, lists the issuing institution as Swiss Management Centre (SMC), his academic transcript—issued two weeks later on January 15, 2020—refers to Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University. GTEC noted that the term “University” does not appear on SMC’s official website as of October 10, 2025, and appears to have never been part of its legally recognized name.
The Commission also flagged the unusually long duration of the program. According to the transcript, Mr. Ashigbey was enrolled in the doctoral program
