The Lakeside University College, Ghana (L.U.C.G), formerly known as the Madina Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) has appointed Dr. Mohammed-Sani Abdulai, an educationist and distinguished IT professional, as the new President of the University.
Dr. Mohammed-Sani Abdulai takes over from Prof. Salifu Abdulai Asuro, also an educationist, who for the past three years tirelessly worked on the reconstruction of MIST and led in the advocacy for its change of name to Lakeside University College, Ghana.
A colourful induction ceremony was held at the auditorium of the university to usher in the new President and also to announce the change of name from the Madina Institute of Science and Technology to the Lakeside University College, Ghana.
Present at the ceremony were some Council Members of the University, including the Chairman; Hajj Salem Kalmoni. Also present were: Prof. Salifu Abdulai Asuro, the outgoing President; Dr. Abdulai Salifu, the former Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Dr. Gamel Abdul-Nasser Adam, the Vice-President (Academic Affairs) of the Islamic University College, Ghana. The guest of honour was Prof. Mohammed Salifu, the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University commended the outgoing President and his administration for their exemplary leadership that has resulted in the upliftment of the image of the institution.
He was optimistic the personality of the new President and his experience makes him the right person for the job. “His passion and drive gives me hope and motivation that we have chosen the right person for the job. I can sense that he knows the burden of his job and the responsibility he’s going to bear, at this point in his life”.
On her part, Dr. Hajia Rabiatu Armah, a Council Member, urged the new President to take charge and continue to run in the same way the outgoing President tirelessly did for the past three years to help in the reconstruction of the University and to enhance it further.
“Dr. Mohammed-Sani Abdulai has also been part of the beginning of this Institution. I have known his lamentations when we were all here struggling as to how to enrich and enhance this place. His lamentations and his cries I have known because all of us were in it together”.
The guest of honour, Professor Mohammed Salifu, in his address, commended the Lakeside University College for the good work it is doing to raise the bar to make the institution one of the best in the country. He however cautioned them to be mindful of the competition in the tertiary education landscape and to give students necessary and sufficient reasons why they should study with them. “You need a strategic plan, effective leadership and unique selling points to distinguish yourself and to make your university attractive to students”.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Mohammed-Sani Abdulai thanked Allah and all stakeholders including: the University Council Members, professional colleagues, staff, students, chiefs, clergy and elders in the Madina, Adenta, Ashale-Botwe communities as well as his family and friends for the guidance and support.
He was hopeful of a bright future for L.U.C.G. “Ten years from now, Insha Allah, I see an L.U.C.G. fully serving its mandate of teaching, undertaking cutting edge research and effectively serving this community and the nation at large, in diverse ways.
Dr. Abdulai also assured the stakeholders that although the University takes pride in the tremendous work it has done since 2018, his administration is determined to consolidate the work done and to build on it. . Among them: he expressed his commitment “to make even stronger our recruitment drive and increase enrollment; marshal our passions, skills, and ingenuity to further improve and touch people’s lives; make L.U.C.G. the University of Choice; accelerate our presence on the tertiary education landscape of Ghana, and indeed of Africa; make even stronger contributions in research, education and service and attracting international students and faculty to our campus”.
“We will embrace a new model for teaching and learning. As President, all my decisions will have our students in mind. My goal is to help our students get not only good education, but an education interlaced with values”.
Dr. Mohammed-Sani Abdulai
Dr Abdulai is an alumnus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and has over forty years of academic and professional practice to his credit. He has served in academic positions in various institutions in Ghana and abroad.
He also played a pioneering role in the development of Internet in Ghana and the Ecowas sub-region and served on various governing boards; including. the National Communications Authority (NCA), the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the Ghana Interbank Payments and Settlements System (GhiPSS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the INSTI-CSIR Management Board.