UBIDS, the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies in Northern Ghana, has held its second congregation for the School of Law alongside a special graduation ceremony for the School of Graduate Studies. The ceremony marked a monumental day of academic achievement and significant development pledges.
The ceremony brought together political leaders, legal practitioners, religious leaders, and traditional authorities, all of whom have one affiliation or another with the university. They continue to support the university in their own ways and honor every invitation, underscoring the institution's deep roots in the community. Delivering his welcome address, the Chairman of Council, Dr. Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kumbuor, highlighted the profound historical significance of the ceremony.
'Today's occasion marks the second time that a university in Northern Ghana, almost seven decades after independence, is awarding Bachelor of Laws degrees to deserving graduates,' Dr. Kumbuor stated. He proudly noted the exceptional performance of the young law faculty, revealing that out of the 42 LLB graduates from the maiden batch who sat the Ghana School of Law entrance examination, 28 passed.
'This represents almost 70 percent who passed and are currently in Part One of the professional law training course,' Dr. Kumbuor added, noting that the General Legal Council has officially selected the UBIDS School of Law as one of the 19 institutions permitted to run the one-year pre-bar course. Detailing the graduation statistics, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Emmanuel Kanchebe Derible announced that a total of 70 law students, comprising 61 males and 9 females, graduated alongside 298 postgraduate students, including 8 PhD candidates and 290 master's degree recipients.
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Special Guest of Honour, took the audience down memory lane as he recounted his deep personal connection to the land on which the university is built. 'This land has an indelible imprint in my mind, because this is the land that nurtured me when I was in senior high school,' Mr. Bagbin revealed.
Speaker Bagbin's humble beginnings took a significant turn as he transitioned from being a cotton farm laborer in the same region to a development leader. 'I was a laborer on daily contracts, earning money to support my education,' Mr. Bagbin revealed, before announcing major health and education interventions for the region.
The Speaker disclosed that he has initiated a partnership between UBIDS and the Medical University of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates to establish a medical school. To lay the groundwork, he is personally facilitating the upgrade of the Upper West Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital. 'As I speak to you now, six brand new dialysis machines, together with the necessary supporting logistics and consumables, will be installed at the hospital this year through my efforts,' Speaker Bagbin announced to rapturous applause.
He also highlighted the recent passage of the Legal Education Reform Act, 2026 (Act 1170), a legislative milestone aimed at decentralizing legal training across the country. Valedictorian Roger Yelkumwin Zolko-Ere echoed these sentiments, reflecting on the arduous but rewarding journey of the graduating class and challenging his peers to become standard-bearers of integrity and innovation.
As the ceremony drew to a close, Dr. Kumbuor presented a special citation of honor to Speaker Bagbin. The formal graduation rites climaxed as the Dean of the School of Law called the graduands forward, allowing the Chairman of the Occasion to officially confer their degrees as they switched their tassels from right to left. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Derible then led the triumphant class in reciting the official graduation oath, formally cementing their new status as graduates.
The ceremony's vibrant traditional touch was added by the Kajukperi cultural troupe, delivering a spectacular music and dance performance that energized the auditorium.
As a fitting tribute to the occasion, Speaker Bagbin reflected on his own journey, from a humble beginnings as a cotton farm laborer to a development leader, announcing major health and education interventions for the region. The partnership with the Medical University of Ajman to establish a medical school is one of the key highlights of the Speaker's development efforts.
The upgrade of the Upper West Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital is another key initiative announced by Speaker Bagbin. The hospital will receive six brand-new dialysis machines, together with necessary supporting logistics and consumables. This upgrade aims to enhance the quality of healthcare in the region.
The recent passage of the Legal Education Reform Act, 2026 (Act 1170), a legislative milestone aimed at decentralizing legal training across the country, was also highlighted by Speaker Bagbin. This reform aims to make legal education more accessible to students across the country.