The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has this year spent 18 billion cedis towards the provision of infrastructure, vehicles, office equipment and students and staff development of the University for Development Studies (UDS).

Mr Fosuaba Mensah Banahene, Administrator of the GETFund, announced this at the presentation of two 60-seater Tata buses to the UDS in Tamale on Sunday.

Mr Banahene said the Board of Trustees of the Fund wants to develop UDS to acceptable standards.

He said a university could not be established by "declaration and intentions alone. It should be supported to grow."

Mr Banahene promised that the GETFund would continue to assist the UDS until it becomes a full-fledged university.

He commended the government for paying 378 billion cedis into the Fund last March and said the Fund is expecting 400 billion cedis this year.

Mr Banahene said priority would be given to deprived schools, especially in Northern Ghana.

"Conscious efforts would also be made to encourage female education."

The Fund would also construct student hostels in all the public universities and polytechnics in the country.

The vice-chancellor of the university, Professor John Kaburise thanked the GETFund for the assistance.

He said the assistance of the GETFund to the university this year has exceeded what the university has had since its establishment.