Twenty-eight dormitory blocks will be constructed over five years as part of a US$500 million student accommodation project at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the university and GSC Property Investment Limited.

The dormitory blocks, expected to provide 28,000 beds in total, form the centrepiece of the project, which will be implemented under a 30-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement on 25 hectares of UCC land.

Alongside the dormitories, the development will include commercial and catering centres, an entertainment and cinema centre, student activity facilities, parking spaces and other supporting infrastructure.

Speaking after witnessing the signing, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said the project would not require direct state funding and that government would not provide a sovereign guarantee.

"This will be at no cost to the state, and the state will not provide any guarantee as a sovereign," he said.

However, the minister said the agreement is still subject to a number of approvals, including clearance from Cabinet and Parliament, as well as processes involving the Ministry of Finance and a Value for Money assessment.

Iddrisu also urged UCC to ensure that accommodation charges in the new dormitories remain affordable for students, particularly amid concerns over the rising cost of private hostel facilities.

"I have indicated to Professor Edo to remain within the limits of affordability for students," he said.

He said the project could help address the acute shortage of student accommodation affecting public universities and encouraged other institutions to consider similar public-private partnership arrangements.

Under the proposed BOT model, GSC Property Investment Limited would develop and operate the dormitory blocks and related facilities for the agreed period, after which ownership would eventually revert to UCC.

The university is expected to provide relevant data to support feasibility studies and the design process for the dormitories, subject to the necessary government approvals.

The project forms part of broader efforts to expand student accommodation capacity as universities continue to grapple with demand for residential facilities.