Top Achievers Honored at the 2023/2024 Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Awards

The 2023/2024 Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Awards Ceremony witnessed a celebration of the academic excellence of top  graduates and continuing students from all the four colleges (Education, Humanities, Health Sciences and Basic and Applied Sciences).

Friends and family of the recipients, along with award sponsors and members of the University community converged at the Great Hall on the 3rd of April 2025 for the Colleges of Humanities and Education ceremony, while the Colleges of Health Sciences and Basic and Applied Sciences ceremony took place on the 4th of April 2025. 

Delivering the statement of purpose, College Registrar of the College of Humanities, Mr. Benedict Fosu Adjei, on behalf of the Registrar, underscored the importance of recognising the consistent academic efforts of students. 

He noted the crucial role sponsors play in sustaining the awards, expressing deep gratitude for their material and financial support, including a minimum cash award of GHC 4,659 for each recipient equivalent to $300, and a commitment to fund the prizes for at least five years.

Gender equity and academic diversity were notably woven into the fabric of the awards. Mr. Fosu Adjei highlighted the significance of gender-specific awards such as the Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s Excellence Award for the Best Graduating Female Student in Economics awarded to Mary Quansah and its male equivalent given to Ishmeal Nortey. Other notable recognitions included the Professor Miranda Greenstreet Prize for the Best Graduating Female Student in Adult Education awarded to Minnie Oforiwa Afari and the Rachel Aggrey Memorial Prize presented to Nana Adwoa Quayson. 

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, in her address, echoed the University’s pride in its students. She announced that 180 prizes were being awarded to 142 recipients, with awards dedicated specifically to students from less-endowed secondary schools admitted through the University’s concessionary policy. She added that out of the total number of awards, 72 prizes will be received by female students and 70 by males.

“These students, through determination and diligence, have excelled and graduated with distinction,” the Vice-Chancellor stated, underscoring the University’s commitment to inclusivity and access. She further acknowledged students who balanced academics and sports, celebrating awardees such as Emmanuel Nketia and Mariam Mawuse Aku Boafo, named Best Graduating Male and Female Sports Personalities respectively.

While congratulating the awardees, Vice-Chancellor Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo thanked all donors for the partnership. She further disclosed that 28 new academic prizes were introduced this year by 20 individual and corporate sponsors.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in the Humanities went to Dr. Seth Bosompem Kissi while Dr. Gideon Atinga Akologo, one of the Valedictorians from the School of Graduate Studies at the 2025 graduation ceremonies also emerged as the winner of the ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Award for the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in the Sciences.’

Among the most inspiring stories from Day One’s session was Ephraim Ayeh Orraca-Tetteh, a visually impaired student, who earned the Paa Kwesi Yankey Prize for the Best Graduating Bachelor of Arts Student and the Legon Lions Club Prize.

Dion Akosua Kassim from the UG  School of Law, drew resounding applause from the audience, when she received six awards. These  were the Professor (Mrs.) Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu Prize for the Best Graduating Female Student at the LLB Level; the Professor (Mrs.) Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu Prize for the Best Graduating Student in Criminal Law; the Ace Anan Ankomah Prize for the Best Student in Constitutional Law; the Professor Kwame Gyekye Prize for the Best Student in Jurisprudence; the Professor Yaw Benneh Scholarship for the Best Student in Public International Law and the B & P Associates Prize for the Best Graduating Student in Company Law.

Another remarkable achiever, Dr. Victoria Dovi Akpene Wosornu, a graduate of the UG Dental School, also received six prizes on the second day of the awards ceremony. The prizes were University of Ghana Dental School Prize for the Best Student in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Final Part III; Dr. Christian Botchway Prize for the Best Student in Oral Biology; Dr. Barimah S. Adjei Prize for the Best Student in Local Anesthesia; Life Healthcare Center Prize for the Best Final Year Dental Student; Stephen Tettey Glover Prize for the Best Student in Removable Prosthodontics and the  Dr. Nana Kwame Asante-Appiah Prize for the Best Student in Operative Technique.

Al-Waasiu Abubakari, a First-Class graduate in Computer Engineering and a Valedictorian at the recently held 2025 Congregation Ceremonies, also took home five awards. 

Dr. Ekua Essumanma Houphouet and Emerita Professor Isabella Quakyi delivered remarks on behalf of the sponsors on Day One and Day Two, respectively.

Dr. Houphouet advised the honorees to “take some time to celebrate but also learn to strategise for life ahead, leveraging the successes you have achieved now, creating opportunities for yourselves and taking advantage of opportunities, others offer you.”

Emerita Professor Isabella Quakyi, in praising the awardees, noted that ‘the students being celebrated exemplify what is possible with diligence, discipline and determination to rise.” She charged them to “be bold, curious and compassionate” as they journey through the phases of life. 

Dion Akosua Kassim and Victoria Dovi Akpene Wosornu on behalf of all awardees expressed appreciation to Management, sponsors, family, faculty and staff for honouring their hard work.

The ceremonies were interspersed with dance performances by the Ghana Dance Ensemble and musical interludes by Dr. Alfred Patrick Addaquay from the Department of Music.