At the 25th Congregation and 38th Matriculation Ceremony in Fiapre, near Sunyani, on Saturday, October 24, 2026, Prof. Matthew Glover Addo, Vice‑Chancellor of the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG), urged the government to establish a dedicated fund for private universities. He warned that interventions aimed at first‑year students in public institutions could undermine enrolment prospects for private tertiary education.
Prof. Addo said the national tertiary education development agenda must include private universities to ensure they receive the support needed to sustain operations and contribute to Ghana’s human resource development. He called for a comprehensive funding policy that benefits both public and private institutions, stressing that a strategy prioritising public universities without adequately considering private ones risks leaving a significant segment of the sector to rely on its own resources.
During the ceremony, the Vice‑Chancellor announced that CUG had achieved its highest-ever new student enrolment, with 3,648 students admitted for the 2025/2026 academic year, surpassing the target of 3,200. Approximately 1,810 newly admitted students were matriculated, while 2,806 graduates—668 postgraduate and 2,138 undergraduate—were conferred degrees. The university also celebrated the graduation of its first PhD student, Dr. Godfred Etse Klugah, marking a new chapter in advanced scholarship and research.
Prof. Addo highlighted the university’s expansion of academic programmes and infrastructure, noting the commissioning of a new pavilion, acquisition of two 30‑seater buses and two Toyota Hilux pickups, and the purchase of 150 computers for laboratory upgrades. Plans are underway to build a university clinic, a campus police station, and a Faculty of Law expected to open in January 2027 pending regulatory approval.
He acknowledged that development needs exceed internally generated resources, citing shortages of qualified teaching staff, salary disparities that hinder retention of skilled faculty, and the need to improve research output. The Vice‑Chancellor appealed to the Catholic Church, corporate organisations, development partners, philanthropists and alumni for support in infrastructure and academic development, including student accommodation, lecture facilities, healthcare infrastructure and research facilities.
Looking ahead, Prof. Addo urged the government to de‑emphasise exclusive support for public tertiary education and adopt a comprehensive programme that includes all tertiary institutions in the nation’s developmental agenda, enabling private universities to contribute more effectively to expanding access to higher education and producing skilled professionals for national development.
