Dr. Apaak calls for sustained attention to UDS accommodation and water challenges

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has identified student accommodation, water supply, roads and learning facilities as major challenges requiring sustained attention at the University for Development Studies (UDS).

According to him, addressing these challenges is essential to creating an environment in which students can fully participate in academic life.

Dr. Apaak made the remarks on Thursday, September 3, 2026, when he delivered the keynote address at the investiture of Prof. Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS at the university’s Tamale Campus.

“At UDS, concerns about student accommodation, water supply, roads and learning facilities require sustained attention. These are not peripheral matters,” he said.

He explained that difficulties with basic services could take a toll on students’ academic experience.

“A student who spends valuable time searching for water, struggling to secure safe accommodation or navigating an unsafe learning environment cannot participate fully in academic life,” Dr. Apaak stated.

The Deputy Minister said the challenges facing UDS were part of broader pressures confronting Ghana’s tertiary education sector, including inadequate funding, ageing infrastructure and rising student numbers.

“Our universities, however, are operating in a period of considerable pressure. Funding is often inadequate and unpredictable. Infrastructure is ageing in some institutions and insufficient in others,” he said.

He noted that growing enrolment was putting additional pressure on lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, accommodation and other essential services.

Dr. Apaak said the government remained committed to addressing some of the challenges through policy, infrastructure development, equitable access, research and innovation.

“Government recognises these challenges and remains committed to strengthening tertiary education through appropriate policy, infrastructure development, equitable access, support for research and innovation, and stronger relationships between universities, industry and national development priorities,” he said.

However, he stressed that government alone could not meet all the needs of universities and urged tertiary institutions to explore stronger partnerships and improve their internal systems.
“Government alone, however, cannot meet every need. Universities must diversify their partnerships, improve internal efficiency, protect public resources and demonstrate that the knowledge they produce delivers measurable value to society,” he added.

The Deputy Minister’s remarks come as Prof. Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu begins his tenure as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS, with Dr. Apaak urging the new administration to give student welfare and institutional development sustained attention.