The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on alumni of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), corporate institutions and development partners to invest in the university’s Alumni Endowment Fund to secure its future and expand opportunities for students.
Speaking at a fundraising dinner at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the Asantehene said sustained financial contributions would strengthen the university’s capacity to provide scholarships, support research and innovation, and advance its institutional development.
He said the university’s ambition to move from excellence to global eminence under its KNUST 2035 vision required deliberate and continuous investment from alumni and other stakeholders.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II stressed that graduates who had benefited from the institution had a responsibility to contribute to its growth, just as previous generations had invested in building the university.
“If we truly believe in the future of KNUST, we must be willing to invest in that future, not merely in words of goodwill, but through deliberate, sustained and meaningful contributions,” he said.
The Asantehene noted that KNUST had produced thousands of professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders whose achievements were made possible by the investments and sacrifices of earlier generations.
He urged alumni to consider the legacy they could leave for future students, particularly those who might be unable to pursue higher education because of financial constraints.
According to him, a well-supported endowment fund would provide a sustainable source of funding for talented students who needed financial assistance and help ensure that promising research discoveries did not stall because of inadequate resources.
Otumfuo encouraged alumni and friends of the university to contribute according to their financial capacity, emphasising that the impact of giving should not be determined solely by the amount donated.
He proposed regular contributions, including a monthly donation of GH¢50 from alumni and friends, as a practical way to mobilise significant resources if adopted by a large number of supporters.
“The significance of giving is not measured only by the size of the gift, but by the commitment behind it,” he said.
Otumfuo stresses accountability
The Asantehene emphasised the need for transparency, integrity and accountability in managing the endowment fund to ensure that donations were protected, prudently invested and used for their intended purposes.
He noted that a governance framework, including a board of trustees, had been established to oversee the fund’s management and safeguard contributions.
He said maintaining public confidence in the fund would require the highest standards of financial discipline and responsible stewardship, adding that every donation carried an obligation to account for the resources entrusted to its managers.
Otumfuo also appealed to corporate institutions and development partners to make KNUST part of their long-term investment in education, research and innovation.
He urged alumni to mobilise their colleagues, professional networks and organisations to support the initiative, noting that every contributor could help encourage others to participate.
Concern over low alumni turnout
The Asantehene expressed disappointment over the low attendance at the fundraising dinner, saying he had expected a much larger turnout from the university’s alumni community.
He said he had waited for about one and a half hours for alumni to arrive and urged them to demonstrate greater commitment to activities aimed at advancing the institution’s development.
He also called on alumni to respect time and take collective responsibility for initiatives designed to secure the university’s future.
In his concluding remarks, Otumfuo urged alumni and friends of KNUST to embrace three commitments: giving generously, contributing consistently and inspiring others to support the fund.
He said the ultimate success of the initiative should be measured by the opportunities it created for future students, many of whom might never know the individuals whose contributions helped them achieve their ambitions.
“What we give today can change a life tomorrow. What we give consistently can transform an institution, and what we build together can become a legacy for generations,” he said.
Story By Isaac Justice Bediako
