Digital transformation in higher education in Ghana with focus on ICT access utilization and policy challenges

Digital transformation has become a global priority in higher education, reshaping teaching, learning, and administrative processes through the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Despite this global momentum, Ghanaian tertiary institutions continue to face persistent disparities in ICT access, utilization, and policy implementation. Existing studies are largely single-institutional or fragmented, limiting comprehensive, cross-sectoral understanding. This study examined ICT availability, accessibility, utilization, integration, challenges, and policy implementation across public and private tertiary institutions in Ghana. Guided by Digital Divide Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Institutional Theory, the study investigated how structural, behavioral, and governance factors collectively influence digital transformation. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 800 participants comprising students, faculty members, and administrators drawn from tertiary institutions across Ghana’s major geographical zones. Data were collected using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using jamovi statistical software, applying descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and correlation analyses. The findings revealed moderate levels of ICT availability and accessibility, with private institutions slightly outperforming public institutions, while no significant differences were observed between urban and rural institutions. ICT utilization and integration were moderate but remained weakly embedded within core academic and administrative functions. Technical challenges were statistically significant, whereas financial, cultural, and institutional barriers persisted at moderate levels. Furthermore, ICT policy implementation showed no significant association with measurable digital transformation outcomes. Overall, the findings indicate that Ghana’s tertiary institutions are progressing toward digitalization but remain constrained by structural and institutional bottlenecks. Sustainable digital transformation therefore requires strengthened governance, equitable funding, institutional capacity building, and consistent policy implementation to translate technological adoption into meaningful and enduring transformation.