President Mahama addresses 4th biennial Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities
President John Dramani Mahama has tasked technical universities to tailor their programmes to support the government’s policy of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Ghana.
Addressing the 4th Biennial Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities on Tuesday, in Takoradi, the President pledged to allocate GHS10 million to each of the ten public technical universities in the 2027 budget. These funds are intended to expand infrastructure and invest in equipment and laboratories to meet the objectives set when polytechnics were converted to universities a decade ago.
The President stated that these institutions must position themselves as the engine of Ghana’s knowledge-based economy, focusing on practical skills, industry collaboration, and reducing youth unemployment.
“You must focus on hands-on, competence-based technical and vocational training aligned with the German model,” he emphasised.
President Mahama also announced the establishment of two additional technical universities, one at Jasikan in the Oti Region and at Techiman in the Bono East Region.
This expansion, the President said, will be complemented by a new University of Science and Technology to be established in the Savannah Region. This move aims to increase access to higher education, particularly in the northern belt of the country. Additionally, the government will establish a TVET Fund to boost science-based education nationwide.
“The new universities will be the bridge between the world of science and industry. They will forge a symbiotic relationship with industry by utilising industrial resources for innovation and technological advancement,” the President said.
He noted that technical universities are central to tackling youth unemployment by producing graduates with practical, industry-relevant skills. He stressed that the goal is to shift the national paradigm from producing job seekers to producing job creators.
The President also highlighted previous investments in state-of-the-art equipment provided to the Takoradi and Kumasi campuses for engineering training. This included six labs per institution at a cost of $5 million, covering fields such as electronics, advanced manufacturing, solar, and wind technology.
