University of Ghana (UG), Legon, has officially launched a “Printing Press” under the College of Education, to offer a wide range of quality printing services to the University, neighbours, and the society at large.
The UG Printing Press, established in 2016, was a merger of two independent printing presses managed by the Department of Communication Studies and the Institute of Continuing and Distance Education, to enhance institutional and organisational efficiencies
With the slogan: “Quality Printing, Prompt Delivery”, the Printing Press undertook orders such as printing booklets, magazines and journals, reports, business cards, letterheads, brochures, flyers and handbills, calendars, invoices and receipt books, folders, and posters among other stationery items.
Professor Ebenezer Oduro Mensah, Vice-Chancellor of UG, in a speech read on his behalf, said globally, well-established University presses provided printing and publishing services to their universities and the communities in which they were located, bringing huge visibility to the universities.
“We expect that the University of Ghana Press, through outstanding management practices, and hard work by its staff, will soon, become a ‘world-class press that will bring visibility to the University through the high quality of its work,” he said.
The Press, he said, could only grow if there was a sustained push to increase patronage of the services it provided.
While the COVID-19 pandemic had dried up various regular streams of income for the University, Prof. Mensah said increased work by the Press would support the University’s efforts at diversifying funding sources and increasing the University’s Internally-Generated Funds.
This would also contribute to improvements in the finances of the University, particularly at this crucial time of COVID-19.
Professor Michael Tagoe, the Acting Provost of the College of Education, UG, said as part of the medium-term plan for the Press, there are plans for the establishment of a publishing unit within the Press, however, it was possible only if its growth was supported.
Making it mandatory for all units of the University to carry out printing jobs at the UG Printing Press, would go a long way to support its growth, he said.
“I think that now is the time for all printing jobs in the University to be carried out by the Press, to the extent that this is allowed by the Procurement Laws of the country,” he added.
Prof. Tagoe, also a member of the UG Printing Press Board, said Press faced much competition from other bigger, more established industry players, however, he was optimistic that with the right structures in place and environment, the Press could continue to grow to build upon the successes it had already chalked.
Mr Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu, the Chairman of the Management Board, UG Printing Press, said at a time of continued global economic and financial vulnerability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was important that they gave visibility to their brand as it had become an important source of income for the University.
The UG Printing Press, he said, was undergoing a timely modernisation aimed at ensuring that the Press remained competitive to become a leader in the printing industry.
“We, therefore, make a fervent appeal to management to support us in these areas to enable us to deliver on our mandate,” he said.
Other members of the UG Printing Press Board of Directors are Professor Olivia Kwapong, the Dean of School of Continuing and Distance Education, UG, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Dean of School of Information and Communication Studies, UG, Professor Jonathan Fletcher, Dean of Education and Leadership, UG, and Mr Lucas Chigabatia, Chief Information Technology Officer.
