The School of Agriculture of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CANS)-UCC has honoured ninety-three (93) students for their outstanding academic performance at this year’s Dean’s Awards Ceremony.
Students who showed remarkable improvement during the 2025/2026 academic year were also celebrated for their academic growth.
The event was held on the theme “From Learning to Leading: Honouring Today’s Agricultural Leaders.”
Of the 93 awardees, 83 students were recognised for achieving a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.6 or above, while 10 students received awards for significant improvement in academic performance. All awardees were presented with certificates in recognition of their achievements.
In his welcome address, the Dean of the School of Agriculture, Prof. Henry Degraft Acquah, congratulated the students and urged them to remain focused on their studies.
“Your success reflects not only your individual efforts but also the support of your lecturers, mentors, parents, guardians, friends, and colleagues who have encouraged you throughout your academic journey,” he said.
Prof. Acquah noted that the Dean’s Awards Ceremony serves as a platform to recognise excellence, reward hard work, and celebrate the determination, resilience, and commitment that have brought students this far.
He further underscored the critical role agriculture plays in addressing global challenges such as food security, climate change, environmental sustainability, youth unemployment, and rural development.
“As students of agriculture, you are not simply preparing for careers. You are preparing to become innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers and leaders who will shape the future of our nation and continent,” he stated.
Reaffirming the School’s commitment to student development, Prof. Acquah said the School would continue to provide an environment that supports both academic and personal growth through investments in practical training, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and industry partnerships.
He also expressed appreciation to the School's faculty and staff for their dedication to mentoring and guiding students toward success.
In her remarks, the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and chairperson for the ceremony, Prof. Rofela Combey, commended the awardees for their impressive accomplishments and encouraged them to sustain their performance.
“As you receive these awards today amidst the applause and celebrations, you must understand that once we have acknowledged your excellent academic performance, we will closely monitor your academic progress to ensure that you attain the very best from the system,” she said.
Prof. Combey underscored the importance of preparing future leaders to tackle pressing agricultural challenges, noting that global agriculture continues to face growing demands amid limited resources.
“As productivity growth lags behind increasing demand, feeding a growing world while doing more with fewer resources is not a future problem; it is today’s challenge,” she remarked.
Prof. Combey added that leadership development within academic institutions is crucial, stressing that the students being honoured are already positioning themselves to provide solutions to emerging agricultural challenges.
“The students we honour today are not waiting for tomorrow’s crises. They are already preparing to solve them,” she said.
The ceremony was attended by students, lecturers, and other members of the School of Agriculture community.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
