The University for Development Studies and Green-Gro Limited, a Ghana company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Circular Wastewater Initiative partnership (CWI-partnership) 

The Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies, Professor Seidu Al-hassan signed for the university, while the Managing Director of Green-Gro Limited, Mrs. Philomena Brittain, signed on behalf of the company.

The CWI-partnership is an initiative of the Green-Gro limited which aims to reduce waste as well as generate organic compost through waste recycling.

The Managing Director of Green-Gro Limited, Mrs. Philomena Brittain, stated that UDS is the first university to append its signature to such an agreement. The initiative is at its experimentation phase and will officially kick start next year, at the Nyankpala and Tamale campuses of UDS, as well as the Bawa and Kamina Barracks, all in the Northern Region.

She said most discussions about waste have been limited to plastics, despite the fact that liquid waste also continues to pose several threats to the environment and human health. She added that the main component of the CWI-partnership will focus on using liquid waste to create organic compost.

Per the MOU, UDS will provide support to the CWI-partnership in various ways. These include implementing, operating and testing of a nature-based, simple to operate wastewater collection and compositing plant. UDS will also provide support with delivering compost and irrigation water as well as providing insight into the collection of wastewater and valorisation of the out-coming products. The major stakeholders in this partnership from the University include the Faculty of Biosciences (Nyankpala Campus), and the Directorate of Works and Physical Development (Central Administration).

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Seidu Al-hassan expressed delight about the partnership. He said the ideal of the project are in direct synchronisation with the University’s mandate of partializing knowledge. The Vice-Chancellor added that the project will be a huge contribution towards the realisation of the SDGs on sanitation. He commended the Green-Gro team for the initiative and for choosing UDS for the partnership. He added that the partnership will not only be of benefit to Green-Gro and the UDS, but also, students studying in that field.

The ceremony was witnessed by other members of the University, including the Registrar, Mr. Nurudeen I. Abubakari, the Director of Works and Physical Development (WPD), Ing. Samuel Abiko, and the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, Professor Terry Ansah. Others were the Director of Waste Management Department of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Martin Ahorlu, Captain Peter Mahama and WOII Naa Dei Nikoi from the Public Health Office (Environmental) 6 Infantry Battalion at the Kamina Barracks.

Story by:  Salma Abdul Rashid and Hamdan Wumpeka Amadu (University Relations)