In a symbolic event at the Kofi Ohene Konadu Auditorium, the Global Alumni of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), on Thursday, 4th December 2025, presented a Special Citation and customized 60th Anniversary Lacoste to Professor Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor and one of Ghana’s iconic education reformers.
For many alumni, the moment was deeply personal. Prof. Alabi is not only a national figure but a mentor whose impact spans generations. To some, he was a lecturer; to others, a visionary administrator; and to many more, the embodiment of UPSA’s transformation.
In 1987, long before he became the first alumnus to serve as Vice Chancellor, a young and energetic Joshua Alabi stood before students teaching Economics, firm yet inspiring, analytical yet approachable. One of those students was Francis Kodjo Dadzie, now the President of the UPSA Global Alumni.
His story is inseparable from UPSA’s story. He first entered the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) in 1977 as a Professional Accounting student, a decision that would begin a lifelong relationship with the school. On 1 November 1987, he returned to his alma mater as a lecturer. Over the decades that followed, he climbed through academic and administrative ranks with a blend of discipline, clarity of thought, and unwavering loyalty to the institution.
His leadership trajectory is well documented:
Course Head for Marketing (1990)
Head of Management Consultancy Unit (1993)
Senior Lecturer in Economics and International Marketing (2000)
Head of the Marketing Department (2002)
Head of the Management Division (2003)
Associate Professor (2007)
Acting Rector (2008)
Rector (2009–2012)
Vice Chancellor (2013–2016)
Throughout these years, he championed the transition of IPS into a full-fledged public university. His vision birthed what many education experts now describe as one of the most successful institutional transformations in Ghana’s tertiary history. One of his most remarkable legacies was the restructuring of Institute Programs (IPS) into modern academic pathways that fed into UPSA’s current Schools and Faculties. This shift not only broadened the institution’s academic offerings but also attracted international recognition for UPSA’s model of fusing professional certification with academic degrees. His mentorship shaped many of UPSA’s current leaders, several of whom credit him with instilling the courage to modernize the curriculum, expand research, and deepen student engagement.
Long before occupying high office, Alabi demonstrated unmistakable leadership. As a student in the Soviet Union, he served as President of NUGS Russia (1984) and President of NUGS Europe (1985), becoming a continental voice for Ghanaian students abroad. Friends recall that even then, he carried an air of purposeful discipline, qualities that would later define his leadership at UPSA.
The two items presented were not mere souvenirs. They represented gratitude, identity, and history. The Customized Anniversary Lacoste, stitched in UPSA’s colours and bearing his name, symbolized his lifelong bond with the institution, one that began as a student, matured as a lecturer, and peaked as Vice Chancellor. The Citation, drawn from UPSA’s archival and alumni memory, captured the breadth of his service and the depth of his impact:
“…for his enduring service, principled leadership, and lasting contribution to higher education and national development in Ghana…” For many alumni observing the moment, it was a reminder that institutions do not grow by accident; they grow because specific individuals choose to carry them forward.
Today, UPSA stands prominently among Ghana’s tertiary institutions, with global accreditations, modern infrastructure, and rapidly expanding professional programs. Many of these milestones are traceable to the foundations laid during Prof. Alabi’s tenure. His honorary doctorate, awarded in recognition of decades of leadership, is therefore not only deserved but historic, especially for an alumnus who returned home to build the house that once sheltered him.
Speaking after receiving the honour, Prof. Alabi expressed appreciation and reflected on the journey:
“I have always believed that leadership is about building people. If our students excel, UPSA excels. If our staff are empowered, Ghana’s tertiary sector grows.”
The honour extended to Professor Joshua Alabi was more than an alumni gesture; it was a recognition of a legacy embedded across generations of students, staff, and leaders. As UPSA continues its upward trajectory, his impact remains imprinted not only in commemorative citations but in the thousands of lives shaped by the systems he strengthened and the doors he opened.
A tribute befitting a builder of people, an institution, and a generation.
