The University for Development Studies, (UDS) has launched an endowment fund that seeks to raise a 100 million Ghana cedis within five years. The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Professor Wayo Seini said, the fund, known as the UDSEF, will be used to help indigent students to fund their education at the University.

Speaking at the launch which was held alongside the University’s April 2022 congregation, on Saturday April 30, 2022, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye intimated that each year, UDS continues to receive a large number of qualified applicants for its programmes but is unable to admit a good number due to insufficient academic facilities. Additionally, he said, a good number of the students enrolled are unable to pay their fees, a situation that often compels them to either defer their studies or dropout altogether. Prof Ayum Teye added that a good number of both fresh applicants and continuing students apply to the management of the University seeking financial support for their programmes but such a facility is currently unavailable. He said, by establishing the UDSEF, the management of the University hopes to address these challenges and make university education accessible to all persons irrespective of their financial backgrounds.

The Vice-Chancellor indicated that the UDSEF aims to raise One hundred million Ghana cedis (GH₵100,000,000) in the first five years to be invested and distributed to qualifying students and priority projects. He appealed to the business community, government, traditional leaders, and private citizens to consider ways that they can contribute to the fund and impact the lives of thousands of students every year.

A seven-member board of trustees has been constituted to see to the management of the funds. They were sworn into office by the Chairman of the UDS Governing Council, Professor Wayo Seini. They include, Mr. Peter Eliasu a former Managing Director of Merchant Bank Ghana Limited, Mr. Charles Abugri, a development expert and a former Chief Executive Officer of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). The rest are, Dr. Rakiatu Husseini, a Senior lecturer in the Department of Forestry and Forest Resources Management, UDS, Mr. Aaron Opoku-Ahene, a Strategic Information Systems Developer who is also the Chief Operating Officer at  SInapi Aba Savings and Loans ltd, Mr Awudu Issa Mahmudu (Esq) a legal practitioner with many years’ experience, Dr. Fatimata Iddrisu Abu a lecturer, at the Tamale Technical University and Dr. Chrysogonus Anab,  a lecturer at the Department of Sustainable Development Studies, Faculty of Sustainable Development Studies, UDS.

At the launch, various companies, organizations, institutions, and lecturers and administrators of UDS and many individuals made pledges and contributions to support the fund. A ten-year-old boy whose uncle was among the graduands was touched by the reasons behind the establishment of the UDSEF and subsequently made a donation of 5 Ghana Cedis – showing they way that “no contribution is too small”.

The management of the University says, it will soon announce Bank account and Mobile Money numbers through which people who wish to contribute to the fund can do so.

The total amount raised at the ceremony was approximately one hundred and forty thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 140,000).