The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has announced plans to develop a 28,000-bed student accommodation facility estimated at US$500 million as part of measures to address the persistent accommodation challenges facing students.
The project is to be undertaken in partnership with GSC Property Investment Limited under a 30-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) arrangement.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof Denis Worlanyo Aheto, disclosed this during a special congregation held as part of the University’s 15th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture series at Cape Coast.
He said 25 hectares of university land had been allocated for the development, which would significantly expand accommodation capacity for students.
Prof Aheto said the initiative formed part of the University’s broader efforts to respond to emerging challenges while positioning the institution to meet changing national and global educational demands.
The Vice Chancellor also announced that UCC’s e-Campus, launched recently in partnership with AstriaLearning, was attracting strong patronage barely a month after its introduction.
He said the University was expanding its digital and artificial intelligence-powered education programmes to widen access to learning and strengthen its academic offerings.
Prof Aheto said UCC would also strengthen digital governance and its Pan-African engagements through greater decentralisation, transparency, accountability and efficiency in its administration.
The announcements were made alongside the conferment of an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Honoris Causa) on renowned journalist, author and media executive, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr.
Mr Pratt received the honorary doctorate in recognition of his decades of journalism practice, contribution to press freedom, national development and the advancement of Pan-Africanism.
He was honoured at a special congregation held in connection with the two-day memorial lecture, which was organised under the theme: “Kwame Nkrumah yesterday, today and tomorrow: Perspectives on constitutionalism, development and Pan Africanism.”
The Chancellor of UCC, Dr Sir Sam Esson Jonah, praised Mr Pratt for his long-standing contribution to Ghana’s media and civic space.
He said Mr Pratt had used journalism and civic engagement to promote accountability, social justice, democracy and Pan-Africanism.
Dr Jonah said the conferment demonstrated the University’s recognition of the importance of independent journalism, informed civic engagement and the courage to challenge established ideas.
He urged students to draw inspiration from the lives and works of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Mr Pratt, stressing the importance of critical thinking, ethical leadership and civic responsibility.
Mr Pratt, who expressed surprise and gratitude for the honour, said he had never imagined that he would have the opportunity to deliver the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture and receive an honorary doctorate from UCC.
He recalled his connection with Cape Coast in 1976, when the university served as an important centre of learning for students and the surrounding community.
Mr Pratt said his political consciousness and patriotism had been shaped by the ideals and aspirations of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He said although some of his aspirations might not be realised during his lifetime, he remained hopeful that the vision of a united Africa based on scientific socialism would eventually be achieved.
On the role of universities, Mr Pratt argued that tertiary institutions should go beyond collecting and transmitting knowledge and instead contribute actively to transforming society.
He described UCC as one of the world’s great universities and pledged his continued support for its mission of African liberation.
Prof Aheto, for his part, commended Mr Pratt for consistently advancing the ideals of African emancipation, self-determination and Pan-African solidarity through his journalism and public engagements.
He said the memorial lectures had enriched intellectual discourse and encouraged renewed reflection on the relevance of Nkrumah’s ideas to contemporary Ghana and Africa.
Prof Aheto said UCC had evolved from its original mandate of training Ghana’s teaching workforce to offering programmes responsive to national priorities and global trends, while maintaining its focus on research and academic leadership.
He reaffirmed the University’s commitment to promoting economic independence, self-reliance and sustainable development across Africa.
