A presidential hopeful of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Selma Yoda, is calling for the establishment of a dedicated institution to deal with student accommodation challenges across tertiary institutions.
She said while initiatives such as accommodation apps may help students find available rooms, they do not address the bigger problem of inadequate hostel and hall infrastructure.
Selma Yoda, speaking on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana on Monday, August 31, 2026, said the country needed to look beyond short-term measures and invest in infrastructure to meet the growing demand for student accommodation.
“The app, to me, is going to be a short-term thing. Because yes, we want to book accommodation, so we go online, there’s the app there, we fix, we get our accommodation done, then we are done. But then, now the issue goes beyond even the pricing.”
She said the shortage of accommodation was partly the result of limited halls and hostels at tertiary institutions, despite rising student populations.
“You realize that the infrastructure is a problem. We have limited hostels and limited halls. Now there are a lot of people going into the universities. So if we don’t look at the long-term and we only look at the short-term, it’s going to be a problem,” she said.
Calls for dedicated student accommodation body
Ms Yoda proposed that a separate body could be created to focus specifically on student accommodation, including the development of infrastructure and monitoring of rent-related challenges affecting students.
She noted that while the Rent Control Department has a broader mandate covering accommodation issues across the country, a specialised body could focus solely on the needs of students.
“I understand that the rent control is looking at rent in general, not just the institutions or not just students’ parts,” she said.
“But if we have a separate entity that is going to look at it, going to focus on infrastructure and rent issue solely for the institutions, we understand.”
She also called for greater attention to the infrastructure mandate of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), arguing that discussions around the institution often focus more on scholarships than infrastructure.
“What we always hear is about the scholarship, but the infrastructure bit is not loud enough,” she said.
Yoda outlines NUGS agenda
Ms Yoda said her campaign to lead NUGS is built around three priorities: “leadership, visibility, and trust.”
She believes NUGS must regain visibility among students, particularly because some students at tertiary institutions are unfamiliar with the organisation and its role as the umbrella body for Ghanaian students.
“When you go to some institutions, some of them don’t even know about NUGS at all. That is a problem. Because NUGS is the mother body that’s supposed to represent the student’s body,” she said.
She also promised to work toward maintaining a united student front and resisting political interference in student leadership.
“We want to serve the Ghanaian student. So whatever we are supposed to do, whatever policies, whatever ideas, whatever strategies that we are supposed to bring up to make sure that we have a united front,” she said.
Advocates stronger support for student concerns
Ms Yoda also identified teacher trainee recruitment, water shortages and the “No Fees Stress” policy among issues requiring attention.
She said NUGS should use its position as the national student body to amplify concerns from individual student groups and institutions.
“TAG National and their various sectors and their various institutions did a demonstration. It is our responsibility, NUGS as the mother body, to make sure that their voices in their little corner is being heard nationwide,” she said.
Her campaign, she explained, has also involved visiting institutions across the country to understand challenges directly from students.
She cited a visit to Tamale College of Education, where she encountered water-related challenges.
“You see it for yourself. Okay. So now when you are making a decision or when you are drawing your policy document, you get to put down something from experience, something that you’ve seen,” she said.
Focus on female students and employable skills
Ms Yoda also wants NUGS to pay greater attention to issues affecting female students, including access to sanitary pads, particularly in parts of northern Ghana.
Beyond such immediate needs, she said student leadership must also help prepare young people for life after school by creating links to practical skills and employment opportunities.
“Life goes beyond that. Unemployment is an issue in our country. So when we are done and we come back home, what can we do after that?” she asked.
She said NUGS could partner with existing government programmes such as the National Apprenticeship Programme and other initiatives to help students develop practical skills and businesses while still in school.
Ms Yoda said her immediate focus was serving Ghanaian students and declined to speculate about a future in mainstream politics.
“I always believe in service above self. So for now, my focus is on Ghanaian students. My focus is serving the Ghanaian student. As we are moving forward, we will see how it goes.”
