UBIDS Commits to Infrastructure Expansion Amidst Rising Enrolment

Accra: Professor Emmanuel K. Derbile, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), has reaffirmed the university's commitment to addressing infrastructure deficits to enhance teaching and learning. He noted that expanding the university's infrastructure had become imperative due to increasing student enrolment, which had put pressure on the limited facilities, including accommodation and teaching space. According to Ghana News Agency, Prof. Derbile, who gave the assurance in Wa at the weekend during the sixth matriculation ceremony of the University, observed that the situation had compelled about 90 per cent of students to reside off campus. A total of 2,301 fresh students were admitted into various programmes for the 2025/2026 academic year, comprising 868 diploma, 1,030 degree, 205 master's, 95 PhD, and 103 Post-First-Degree Law students. Prof. Derbile said to address the challenge, the management of the university was aggressively pushing for the completi on of all its GETFund projects. "I want to use this opportunity to announce that the University has now received financial clearance for the completion of the GETfund projects. Management is currently working hard to receive approvals at various levels for the implementation," Prof. Derbile indicated. Prof. Derbile acknowledged the efforts of all stakeholders who had contributed in diverse ways towards the completion of the projects to sustain the University's mandate of providing quality academic services. He also indicated that the University management had adopted a Public-Private Partnership model under a 'Built-Jointly Operate and Transfer' framework to deliver some critical facilities. Prof. Derbile said, under that initiative, he had cut sod for the construction of a 1,000-capacity multipurpose hostel and lecture theatre complex, valued at US$6.6 million. The project included a three-storey hostel block and a two-storey lecture theatre complex with eight lecture halls, twenty-two offices, four lectur ers' common rooms, seventy-eight lavatories, and a 200-capacity parking lot. Prof. Derbile reminded the students that university education required maturity and personal responsibility and urged them to pursue academic excellence with seriousness and intellectual curiosity, and uphold academic integrity. He also urged them to serve as ambassadors of the university and to uphold its vision of becoming a world-class institution that drives sustainable development through innovative teaching, research, and community engagement, particularly in underserved regions. Touching on government policy, Prof. Derbile said the university's management had taken steps to ensure the students benefited from the 'Stress Free Fees Policy', and that they had so far processed 1,210 fresh students to benefit from the initiative. The Vice-Chancellor expressed gratitude to the academic and administrative staff of the University for their dedication and resilience despite operational challenges to sustain the university's teaching, research, and community engagement functions.