The Management of the University for Development Studies has commiserated with the Royal Family and the people of Dagbon following the passing of the Overlord of Dagbon, His Majesty Ndan Ya-Na Abukari Mahama II.
A delegation from the University, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu, visited the Gbewaa Palace during the observance of the three-day Adua for the late Overlord.

The Vice-Chancellor was accompanied by the Registrar, Mr. Nurudeen Issah Abubakar, and the Director of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Hardi Shaibu.

The delegation was received by the Regent of Dagbon, the Kampakuya-Naa, members of the Royal Family, elders of the Traditional Council and other mourners who had gathered to pay their respects to the late King.

Speaking on behalf of the Governing Council, Management, staff, students, alumni and the entire University community, Professor Iddrisu expressed the University’s profound sorrow over the passing of the Ya-Na.
He described the late Overlord as a revered traditional leader, a father and trusted friend of the University, as well as a passionate advocate for education, peace and development.

Professor Iddrisu observed that the relationship between the late Ya-Na and the University went beyond ceremonial engagements and was founded on a shared commitment to education, service and the socioeconomic development of northern Ghana.

He recalled the late King’s generous donation of 500 hectares of land in Yendi for the establishment of a new campus of the University for Development Studies. According to the Vice-Chancellor, the gesture demonstrated the Ya-Na’s far-reaching vision of using education as a foundation for peace, human development and lasting prosperity.

“The land donated by His Majesty represents more than a physical space for the establishment of a university campus. It represents a seed of knowledge that will provide opportunities and transform the lives of generations of young people,” he stated.

Professor Iddrisu also paid tribute to the late Overlord’s contribution to peacebuilding and reconciliation in Dagbon. He noted that Ya-Na Abukari Mahama II ascended the revered Gbewaa Skin at a critical period in the history of the Kingdom and provided the patient, wise and unifying leadership required to rebuild trust, heal old wounds and restore stability.

The Vice-Chancellor indicated that the late King’s commitment to peace extended beyond Dagbon and contributed significantly to the maintenance of social harmony within the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole.

In recognition of his exceptional leadership, contribution to peacebuilding, commitment to education and dedication to national development, the University for Development Studies conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters degree on His Majesty in November 2025.

As part of the visit, Professor Iddrisu, on behalf of the University, presented a donation to the Regent and the Royal Family to support the organisation of the funeral rites of the late Overlord.

The Vice-Chancellor also signed the book of condolence opened in honour of the late King, expressing the University’s deepest sympathies to the Royal Family, the Gbewaa Palace, the Dagbon Traditional Council and the people of Dagbon.

A tribute signed by the Registrar, Mr. Nurudeen Issah Abubakar, described the late Ya-Na as a peacemaker who chose reconciliation over division, a visionary who regarded education as a pathway to progress and a father whose generosity would continue to shape the future of the University and the people it serves.

The tribute further stated that although the royal voice of His Majesty had fallen silent, his legacy would continue to speak through the peace he nurtured, the people he united and the doors of education he opened for generations.

The University prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive the shortcomings of the late Overlord, reward his distinguished service to humanity and grant him eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus.

Story by:
Abdul Malik Iddrisu
UDS Media