In Ghana, ABU Vice-Chancellor and staff had an exhilarating adventure at Volta River
It was a thrilling one-day adventure for the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof Kabiru Bala, and some staff of the institution at the famous Volta River in Ghana when they went for an excursion at the Akosombo Dam in the southern part of the West African country.
This was after a three-day intensive training workshop on quality assurance in higher education leadership and management in Accra which was put together by the Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA). ABU’s participation in the three-day workshop was facilitated by the Africa Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering Education (ACENPEE) and Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB).
During the excursion, the Vice-Chancellor was in the company of his staff, including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof Raymond B Bako; Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof Ibrahim A Mohammed-Dabo; and Dean, Faculty of Education, Prof Halidu Isa Bayero.
The visit to the Volta River, led by the Director, Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA), Dr Violet Makuku, was indeed captivating as they cruised along the various scenic islands in the river. It was a 30-minute sightseeing boat cruise in the river which is known for its picturesque landscapes and island scenery.
From Accra, it is a 100km trip to the Akosombo area of the West African country. They made a brief stopover at Mamasita Rest Spot where they stretched and took many memorable pictures. The rest spot personnel were receptive as they were handy at every section of the spot to assist where necessary.
The Volta River is the main river system in Ghana. It flows south into Ghana from Bobo-Dioulasso highlands of Burkina Faso.
The river has been dammed at Akosombo for generating hydroelectricity. The reservoir, named Lake Volta, stretches from the Akosombo Dam in the south to the northern part of the country, and is the largest man-made reservoir by area in the world.
The Volta River was named by Portuguese gold traders in Ghana. The river, whose depth is about 45 feet below Lake Volta, is crossed by the popular Adome Bridge just below the Akosombo Dam. The bridge was constructed in the late 1950s.
The excursion team went round only three out of the 16 islands in the river aboard a cruise boat owned by Matter Cruises Company. For safety, they all put on life jackets before starting the 30-minute cruise. The short river journey began from the Adi Lake Resort through the Adome Bridge to the Royal Senchi passing through three islands.
McCarthy Akorli, a 22-year old tour guide and an Ewe by tribe in Ghana, spoke on the history of the Volta River and its mysteries, Lake Volta, Adome Bridge, islands, and the Akosombo Dam.
Akorli, also a senior captain of the boarded cruise boat, said the river attracts tourists from all over the world because of its unique features. An average of 250 tourists visit the place every day to catch a glimpse of the river, he said.
The guide, who disclosed that there are over 60 commercial boats along the river for both cruises and ferrying goods across the river, explained that world class hotels were built all over the place because of the large number of visitors who keep on tropping for an adventure.
He described the river as beautiful, saying that it is about 45 feet deep with over 30 different species of fish. In one of the islands, according to him, a Jamaican owns a large farm where he cultivates water melon, cucumber, and mango on a commercial basis. The Jamaican farmer who lives with his family and farm workers in the island, uses solar panels for electricity as the island was not connected to grid power.
Every member of the team was excited over the Volta River day trip adventure. For example, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kabiru Bala, described the excursion as “quite memorable” and thanked Dr Violet Makuku for organising the visit. For the deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof Raymond B Bako, the trip to the Volta River was “thrilling”. Prof Bako said the “beauty of the place is that the river is stable all the time” with world class hotels and scenery structures surrounding it.
Finally, after the Volta River cruise, the team stopped over at the Akosombo Bridgeview Hotel where they had lunch, relaxed briefly, and then embarked on a return journey to Accra.
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Public Affairs Directorate,
Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Saturday, 8th March, 2025.
