About Central University
Raising virtuous and transformational leaders since 1997.
A chartered, values-driven Ghanaian university — from a pastoral training institute to ten schools across three campuses.
Mission & Mandate
Why Central exists.
Our vision
To raise virtuous and transformational leaders for our world.
Our mission
To nurture a vibrant academic community conducive to the study, creation and dissemination of knowledge through research, teaching, training and service.
Central University traces its divine mandate to the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) and its founder, Rev. Dr. Mensa Otabil — beginning in 1988 as a pastoral training institute and growing, through Central Bible College and Central Christian College, into a fully chartered university. That founding conviction — that education should shape character as well as competence — still defines the institution today.
Our Values
Faith. Integrity. Excellence.
The three words on our crest are not a slogan — they are the standard we hold ourselves to, from the classroom to the boardroom.
Faith
A Christ-centred foundation that shapes character alongside competence, and roots the University's work in service to God and neighbour.
Integrity
Honesty, accountability and ethical conduct — the mark of the virtuous leaders Central exists to raise.
Excellence
A relentless pursuit of quality in teaching, research and service that meets national needs and international standards.
Leadership
“Building on Legacy, Leading with Vision.”Professor Samuel Kwasi Dartey-Baah — Vice-Chancellor Theme of his investiture address, 22 October 2025, Trinity Hall, Miotso Campus.
Professor Dartey-Baah was inducted as Vice-Chancellor for an initial five-year term from 1 September 2025, succeeding Professor Bill Buenar Puplampu. He joined Central University from the University of Ghana, where he served as Director of Institutional Advancement and, earlier, two-term Head of the Department of Organisation and Human Resource Management at the University of Ghana Business School.
“We are not just educating minds; we are shaping destinies. Let us rise to the moment with bold ideas, firm resolve, and unwavering hope.”
— From the Investiture Address, October 2025The Vice-Chancellor's Vision
Five pillars for a model African university.
The strategic direction set out in the Vice-Chancellor's 2025 investiture address — continuity of legacy, matched with the ambition to make Central a relevant, innovative and impactful 21st-century institution.
Excellence in teaching & research
Programmes aligned to market and international standards, three new research clusters — Engineering & the Built Environment, Health & Applied Sciences, Education & the Humanities — and a Research Management Office to win grants and partnerships.
A student-centred environment
Holistic support through mentorship, internships, mental-health services and entrepreneurship hubs — plus improved accommodation and the operationalisation of the University Hospital.
Financial sustainability
Diversified income through executive education, consulting, alumni engagement and a university endowment culture, driven by a strengthened Advancement Office.
Brand, compliance & community
A revitalised Public Affairs Unit and stronger partnerships — including active participation in the Education Collaborative, the continental initiative led by Ashesi University.
A high-performance culture
Investing in faculty and staff development, and building a work environment that rewards excellence, accountability and service.
Beyond graduation
Nurturing ethical character, national responsibility, an entrepreneurial mindset and compassionate leadership — shaping destinies, not just educating minds.
Governance
How Central is led.
As a chartered university, Central is governed by an autonomous University Council, with academic and executive leadership vested in the Vice-Chancellor and the principal officers below.
Chancellor
Rev. Dr. Mensa Otabil
General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church and the University's first Chancellor. As representative of the ICGC Presbytery, he is the ceremonial head of the University.
Read more →Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Samuel Kwasi Dartey-Baah
A leadership scholar and organisational-development expert who joined from the University of Ghana. Holder of multiple doctorates and author of 70+ publications, known for his Transfor-sactional leadership theory.
Read full bio →Pro Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Stephen Abenney-Mickson
An irrigation and agricultural-engineering specialist and former Dean of the School of Engineering & Technology. He joined Central in 2018 after two decades at the University of Ghana; PhD from Okayama University, Japan.
Read full bio →Registrar
Mrs. Lily Martina Yeboah Nutakor
The University's first female and first alumna Registrar. A chartered accountant (ICAG, CIMA) who rose from Director of Finance, she has served Central for over two decades.
Read full bio →The University Council
The University's supreme governing body, responsible for academic policy and the strategic direction of the institution — drawing together church, academic, industry and alumni leaders.
View the full Council roster →Our Heritage
The leaders who built Central.
Every chapter of the University's growth was shaped by a leader who carried the vision forward — from a Bible college in Dansoman to a chartered university at Miotso.
Founding President · 1998–2003
Rev. Prof. E. Kingsley Kwabena Larbi
Led the transition from Central Bible College to a multidisciplinary university college, establishing the School of Theology & Missions and pioneering evening programmes for working professionals.
President · 2004–2012
Emeritus Prof. V. P. Y. Gadzekpo
A renowned analytical chemist who broadened Central's scope with Pharmacy, Nursing, Architecture and Engineering, and championed the move to the permanent Miotso campus.
President / Vice-Chancellor · 2012–2017
Emeritus Prof. Kwesi Yankah
A celebrated linguist who led Central through its 2016 Presidential Charter — becoming its first Vice-Chancellor — and established the Kumasi campus. Later Minister of State for Tertiary Education.
Vice-Chancellor · 2017–2025
Prof. Bill Buenar Puplampu
An organisational psychologist and Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts & Sciences who provided academic and strategic leadership through a period of institutional consolidation and national reform.
Our History
From a college to a chartered university.
The story of Central University — from a liberal-arts college to a chartered, ten-school institution. Tap any milestone to open the full timeline.
Re-christened Central University College as a liberal-arts tertiary institution, with Rev. Prof. Kingsley Larbi as first Principal and the Central Business School commissioned.
The School of Applied Sciences is commissioned, launching Physician Assistantship — Central's first health-sciences programme.
The School of Graduate Studies is established and the historic migration from Mataheko to the permanent Miotso campus begins.
Central is awarded a Presidential Charter as a fully-fledged, autonomous university.
The School of Medical Sciences and the School of Nursing & Midwifery are established, extending Central into the health professions.
Professor Samuel Kwasi Dartey-Baah is inducted as Vice-Chancellor, opening a new chapter for Central.
Presidential Charter
Granted 1 March 2016 by President John Dramani Mahama, on the recommendation of the National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board — making Central a fully autonomous, degree-awarding university.
GTEC Accreditation
Institutionally accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the national regulator formed in 2020 from the merger of the NCTE and NAB.
Our Campuses
Three campuses, one university.
Miotso Campus
Dawhenya, Tema — the main campus and administrative home of the university.
Christ Temple Campus
Accra — city-centre campus for working professionals and evening programmes.
Kumasi Campus
Ashanti Region — extending Central's reach into central Ghana.
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Central is a growing, mission-driven university that invests in its people — from funding faculty PhDs to building teams across every campus.
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