The Dean of the School of Communication and Information Studies at the University of Ghana and Chairperson of the University Media Committee, Prof. Abena A. Yeboah-Banin, has issued a stirring call to action to parents and students to change how they perceive and handle failure, urging a reorientation of the modern mindset toward it.
She made this statement during a panel discussion at the maiden edition of Nova Legon, the flagship event organised by the campus-based radio station, Radio Univers, on January 30, 2026, at the Cedi Conference Centre, to welcome the University’s newest cohort.
“I think that one of the things I worry about in our society right now is the fact that parents don’t do a good enough job of letting our children understand that failure is part of the journey. We have framed failure as such an awful end to the game that if you encounter it, that’s the end of you. But we need to reorient and understand that failure is an opportunity to do better next time. At the very least, failure gives you feedback on what you’re doing wrong so you can change,” she stated.
Addressing the students directly, she emphasised that the drive to succeed must be internal. She explained that when a person is truly motivated by a clear goal, failure becomes a temporary hurdle rather than a reason to quit.
She encouraged freshers to avoid the comparison trap—where they feel diminished by the success of their colleagues or by a lack of resources—reminding them that their admission into the University is proof that they possess the baseline capacity to excel.
“I think it’s important that we have something that drives us. If there is that thing driving you, then falling cannot be enough to stop you because you must regroup, pick yourself up, and move on. At this age especially, it’s easy to be faced with circumstances—seeing how well your colleague is doing while you are not, or focusing on the resources you don’t have and wishing you were someone else. But it’s important to remind ourselves that making it here means a baseline capacity has been established. So, if I fall as many times as I do, I will rise again. You pick yourself up. It’s a mindset,” she added.
On mental health and support, Prof. Yeboah-Banin offered a grounded perspective for moments when personal strength feels insufficient. She urged students to seek mentorship, utilise the support systems provided by the University, and rely on community support rather than struggling in isolation when situations become overwhelming.
She noted that there are moments when the capacity to regroup may no longer lie within the individual.
“I think it must happen here for you to be able to pick yourself up and to remind yourselves that the University has help for you. Sometimes, when you fall, the fall is so heavy you feel like an ant under a big rock. In such instances, seek help because the ability to regroup may no longer be within your capacity. You may need support from those who can walk you through the situation you find yourself in. But falling is not enough reason to fail,” she concluded.
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Story by Deborah Owusu and Oliver Arthur Acorlor
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
