The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) has marked its fifth anniversary with celebration and sober reflection.

Its council chairman, former Finance Minister Seth Terkper, praised its remarkable growth but warned that critical infrastructure gaps continue to hold the young institution back.

Speaking at the university’s second congregation ceremony in Somanya, Mr Terkper said UESD had grown “from a modest beginning to a vibrant institution,” with student enrollment rising from 78 in 2020 to more than 1,330 this academic year.

He noted that new graduate programmes, an expanded staff base and a wider network of academic partnerships had strengthened the university’s profile in environmental sciences and sustainable development.

But the growth, he cautioned, had come with “significant pressures.”

Many students live off campus because stalled accommodation projects have failed to keep pace with rising numbers, forcing some to walk long distances to lectures.

Community members, he said, had improvised solutions, converting commercial spaces or opening their homes to students “at very short notice.”

“These challenges have slowed our start-up and limited our strategic momentum,” he told graduates, families, officials and traditional leaders.

“We still have critically uncompleted physical development projects preventing us from achieving our full potential.”

Mr. Terkper referenced long-standing funding disruptions, including the diversion of resources meant for university projects, which the council has formally brought to the attention of the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

“We do not recount these circumstances to sour a joyful occasion,” he said, “but they are realities we must confront.”

Despite the difficulties, he pointed to recent government commitments as signs of progress. Two new 450-bed hostel blocks have been approved, which he described as an “initial intervention” to ease the accommodation crisis.

He also acknowledged the contributions of both past and current Education Ministers, highlighting former minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh for his “critical assistance” during difficult phases.

Established in 2015 under Act 898, UESD was created to be a centre of excellence for environmental studies and a driver of Ghana’s commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr. Terkper said the university’s early years had honoured that mandate, crediting faculty and staff for building “a place where knowledge meets responsibility and innovation meets environmental consciousness.”

Addressing the Class of 2025, he urged graduates to carry that ethos into their careers. “Your education is a tool for service,” he said.

“Let the principles of sustainability guide your every action and decision. The world awaits your ideas, your energy and your integrity.”

Looking ahead, he said the council was reviewing UESD’s five-year strategic plan with a focus on consolidation rather than sweeping changes.

“We took a cautious decision not to jettison progress under the old plan,” he said. “We will build on what has been achieved to ensure the university remains agile and impactful.”

He closed by thanking community leaders, families, faculty and government agencies whose support has sustained the university. Their partnership, he said, remains central to UESD’s mission.

“With your partnership, we will continue to strengthen governance, expand infrastructure and attract investment in research and innovation. Our task is to nurture a university that contributes meaningfully to regional, national and international development.”