The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced a major intervention to address the acute accommodation deficit at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
According to the Minister, UCC and GSC have entered into a major Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will eventually culminate in a contractual agreement, subject to Cabinet, Parliamentary, Ministry of Finance, and value-for-money approvals.
The agreement seeks to expand student accommodation infrastructure under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model in line with the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) policy and legislation.
Under the arrangement, GSC is expected to invest approximately US$500 million in the construction of 28 dormitory blocks, with a combined accommodation capacity of up to 28,000 students.
The construction is expected to be completed within five years.
Mr. Iddrisu stressed that the project will come at no direct cost to the state, adding that the government will not provide any sovereign guarantee for the investment.
He explained that UCC will repay the investment through student accommodation fees. However, he said he had directed the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, to ensure that the charges remain within affordable limits for students.
Under the arrangement, the facility will be operated for approximately 30 to 35 years, after which ownership of the entire infrastructure will be transferred to the University.
In addition to the 28 dormitory blocks, the project will feature a commercial centre, catering facilities, entertainment and cinema centres, a student activity centre, parking facilities, and other supporting infrastructure.
The Minister said the University would support GSC by providing relevant data and information to facilitate the development of appropriate designs and ensure that the project meets government’s requirements.
Describing the initiative as a major breakthrough, Mr. Iddrisu said the project would help ease the accommodation challenges faced by students and address what he described as exorbitant and unjustified charges imposed by some private hostel operators around the University.
He also encouraged other public universities to explore similar PPP arrangements as a means of expanding infrastructure and improving access to higher education, learning, innovation, and research.
The Minister recalled that during President John Mahama’s first state visit to Singapore, a similar arrangement was signed with one of Ghana’s institutions of higher learning for the provision of approximately 10,000 beds.
