The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has commended the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) for its expanding role in national development. Speaking at the university's fourth congregation in Wa, where he represented both the President and the Minister for Education, Dr. Apaak praised the institution for its resilience, academic progress, and commitment to producing graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to Ghana's economic transformation.
Dr. Apaak noted that UBIDS holds a special place in Ghana's tertiary education landscape, describing it as a symbol of opportunity, transformation, and balanced national growth. He stressed that the congregation was not merely an academic ceremony but a celebration of perseverance and collective effort by staff, management, faculty, families, and guardians who supported the graduating class.
Referencing global research, the Deputy Minister highlighted the strong economic impact of tertiary education, citing World Bank reports showing significantly higher returns on investment in university education compared to primary and secondary schooling.
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Reiterating the government's commitment to expanding access and promoting excellence in higher education, Dr. Apaak said the establishment of UBIDS as an autonomous public university was a deliberate policy decision to bridge developmental disparities between northern and southern Ghana. He applauded the university for its growing student population, academic diversity, and research output, expressing confidence that its graduates were not only employable but also well positioned to become job creators.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Kanchebe Deribile, announced that 2,180 students graduated this year, including 688 postgraduates and 495 undergraduates. He celebrated the institution's recent achievements, notably the graduation of its first cohort of 27 LLB students, all of whom passed the professional entrance examination. Outstanding graduates received various awards, including the University Council Chairman's Award, Best Male Graduating Student, Best Female Graduating Student, and several category-specific honours.
Prof. Deribile also outlined progress under the Accelerated GETFund Infrastructure Completion Initiative, including the completion of internal roads, interim administrative blocks, and welfare-enhancing facilities for students and staff. He further revealed that proposals for establishing a School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences were ready, with the university collaborating with health facilities in the Upper West and Upper East Regions to create clinical training sites.
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The Chairman of the University Council, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, commended the institution's steady growth and urged graduates to be worthy ambassadors of UBIDS. He reaffirmed the Council's commitment to strengthening governance, financial sustainability, and academic excellence.
