Some graduates of the Class of 2025 at the University of Ghana have urged university management to prioritise the renovation of the Great Hall’s ventilation systems following a series of graduation ceremonies that concluded on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
However, as thousands of students transitioned into alumni, the celebration was tempered by significant discomfort inside the university’s most iconic venue, some graduates told Univers News.
While the Great Hall remains a fundamental symbol of the institution, many graduates are now calling for urgent upgrades to its cooling systems. They say the combination of a massive crowd and heavy academic regalia made the atmosphere nearly unbearable.
“I was very disappointed with the conditions we were put through,” one graduate remarked, noting that the heat felt like an unnecessary burden on what should have been a joyful moment. “For people who had dressed nicely, they had to suffer under hot conditions. It wasn’t pleasant.”
Despite the size of the hall, witnesses noted that there were as few as four or five fans attempting to cool the entire cohort.
“The ventilation in the Great Hall becomes terrible,” another graduate explained. “You have a large crowd literally packed together in gowns and caps. The university can do better by rejuvenating its infrastructure.”
The heat inside the hall was matched by frustration on the campus roads. Due to heavy congestion, the University’s shuttle system struggled to operate, leaving a vacuum that some private transport providers exploited.
However, university management has been praised for successfully processing such a massive cohort with precision.
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Story by Deborah Owusu | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
