Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur at the weekend urged the University for Development Studies (UDS) to work to improve agriculture, especially in the savannah belt of Ghana.

He explained that despite Ghana’s endeavours to explore other possibilities for growth in the service and manufacturing sectors, agriculture still remains the backbone of the economy.

He acknowledged that improvement in agriculture would be vital to improve the livelihood of the people.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur gave the advice when he addressed the 15th Congregation of the Wa Campus of UDS in Wa.

He said UDS was structured and designed to ensure that the entire northern sector of Ghana would be available to the university as a laboratory.

He said Ghanaians are therefore looking forward to the occasion when UDS would share the successes of that strategy with more of the public, serving as an example of bringing the “gown to town”, he said.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said such an effort would confirm the role of UDS as a people-centred institution with a mandate to address the conditions and structural cause of poverty, particularly in the northern parts of Ghana.

“Your unique structure of serving three regions is a source of great strength. This makes UDS not only unique, but also much focused and we need to guard this character,” the Vice President said.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said research and innovation generated by projects in the universities have been important for the economic development of many countries, saying a country without a research base is opting out of the development race.

The Vice President said the desire to transform Ghana from low middle- income could only be realised through research and the training of high level manpower with the appropriate scientific and technological skills.

“We cannot develop through the sale of oil and other primary products only. It is necessary to invest in research and innovation for added value and economic transformation,” he emphasised.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said government is committed to solve the problem of inadequate funding of research and gave the assurance that plans are far advanced in setting up the National Research Fund

He said government would continue to provide support through the provision of research grants and urged the UDS to cooperate with the agencies involved in the establishment of the Research Fund to make it a reality.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur told the graduands that Ghanaians are looking up to them to make Ghana and the world a better place.

He said while government could not offer all of them jobs, their education should be used as a tool and to develop themselves for greater opportunities.

He urged them to stay focus and consistently live up to the values of UDS to enable them to overcome the many challenges some of them would encounter.

The UDS would be graduating a total of 6,527 students from across its campuses this year with the Wa Campus accounting for 3,896 students who were awarded with postgraduate and undergraduate degrees and diplomas.