By: Baba Mohammed Issahaq
The Parliament of Ghana has passed the University for Development Studies Bill, 2025 under a certificate of urgency, paving the way for a major restructuring of the institution to better serve Ghana’s evolving educational and developmental needs.
The bill, which effectively re-enacts the foundational Provisional National Defence Council Law (P.N.D.C.L 279), was laid before the House by the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu. He explained that the new legislation is aimed at strengthening the University for Development Studies (UDS) and aligning its operations with the current demands of higher education in Ghana.
“This Bill seeks to empower UDS to provide quality and inclusive higher education that directly responds to the diverse developmental challenges of the country,” Hon. Iddrisu stated.
Presenting the report of the Education Committee, its Chairman, Hon. Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, highlighted the need to reform the legal framework of UDS, which has remained largely unchanged since the university’s establishment 32 years ago.
“A lot has changed since UDS was founded,” Hon. Nortsu-Kotoe told Parliament. “These changes call for a re-examination of the governing law to ensure the university continues to operate effectively and in line with best practices across Ghana’s public universities.”
The Committee acknowledged the pivotal role UDS has played in delivering tertiary education, especially in underserved regions of the country, and emphasised that the reforms will help the university stay relevant and competitive in a fast-evolving academic landscape.
With the bill now passed, UDS is set to undergo a structural and policy transformation aimed at expanding its reach, improving academic quality, and reinforcing its contribution to national development
