In 2019 the University for Development Studies (UDS) was selected as one of the top universities across 11 African countries to benefit from the Africa Centres of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) initiative with support from the World Bank and French Development Agency. Under the ACE Impact, a total of 53 Centres of Excellence in 35 universities across 11 countries i.e. Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo as the participating countries and beneficiaries of the ACE-Impact project to improve and accelerate the quality, quantity and development impact of postgraduate education. Also, ACE Impact focuses to build the capacities of African Universities to take ownership of Africa’s socio-economic development through research and capacity building.

The West African Centre for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable Agriculture (WACWISA) of the University for Development Studies (UDS) under the strategic leadership of Prof Felix K. Abagale, the Centre Director and team was awarded US$6.5 million over a period of five (5) years to support the establishment and operations of the Centre. Since its establishment WACWISA has been undertaking world-class training at the graduate level and conduct of high impact research that addresses the development needs of the sub-region and the African Continent emphasizing its five (5) thematic areas – irrigation, water resources, sustainable agriculture, climate change and food and nutrition security.

For the 8th time, the Centre is participating in a week long Regional Workshop on the theme “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” currently underway at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in The Gambia, the Smiling coast of Africa, from November 14 to 18, 2022.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Seidu Al-hassan in a remark expressed his happiness to have led the WACWISA Team to this important event and indicated his commitment to support the Centre achieve the set objectives. He further noted the progress made in the implementation of the project indicating its importance to the development of higher education in Ghana and Africa continent.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director of WACWISA, Prof. Felix K. Abagale indicated that the Centre has so far achieved 68% implementation rate over the past four (4) years of its establishment and is among the top performing centres across the 11 participating countries. He reiterated the WACWISA team’s resolve and commitment to continue to work hard through the ACE Impact framework to make the UDS a permanent member of the prestigious and high ranked universities in Ghana, Africa continent and the World, providing transformational academic programming and research for development impact on the Continent. On his part, the Registrar, Mr. Nurideen I. Abubakari noted that it was a great pleasure to be part of the 8th Regional Workshop in The Gambia. He reiterated his support for the WACWISA-UDS agenda of serving as the springboard to inspire excellence across the UDS and the educational environment.

The WACWISA delegation to The Gambia is led by Prof. Seidu Al-hassan (Vice Chancellor), Prof. Felix K. Abagale (WACWISA Director/Pro-Vice-Chancellor), Prof. Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic (Deputy WACWISA Director), Mr. Nurideen I. Abubakari (Registrar, UDS), Dr. Mohammed Hardi Shaibu (Director of Finance/WACWISA Finance Coordinator), Mr. Duke Fredua Agyemang (Director of Procurement/WACWISA Procurement Coordinator), Prof. Mamudu A. Akudugu (WACWISA M&E Coordinator), Dr. Adzo Dzibodi Doke (WACWISA Safeguards Coordinator) and Mr. Muftawu Iddrisu (WACWISA Accountant).