Hot!
Prof Acakpovi, aspiring Evangelist leading ATU’s transformation drive
Since his appointment as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Accra Technical University (ATU) in July 2023, Engr. Prof Amevi Acakpovi has set out on a transformative agenda geared at making the institution one of the best on the continent and the world.
His vision was to consolidate ATU’s position as the premier technical university in Ghana and brand it as the topmost technical university in Africa.
To achieve that, he has initiated processes to support human capacity development, seeking grants to re-tool laboratories, workshops and the library.
He is also working towards the establishment of a vibrant and dynamic graduate school at ATU.
Backed by a strong international network, his ambition is to promote national and international partnerships for increased visibility and promote stronger collaborations between the university and its key stakeholders.
Also with his Information Communication and Technology (ICT) background, Prof Acakpovi has shown keen interest in building a strong educational resilience in ATU by integrating sustainable virtual learning modules, with his research aspirations focused on making the university a technology hub; using applied research of all kinds and solving societal problems.
Engr. Prof Amevi Acakpovi is a Ghanaian citizen, a Professor in Electrical and Energy Systems Engineering. He is a Fellow Professional Engineer from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from the Lokossa Institute of Technology (Republic of Benin) in 2006, a Masters’ Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Abomey-Calavi University (Republic of Benin) in 2009 and a PhD in Energy Systems Engineering from a joint collaboration between Accra Institute of Technology and the Open University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.
Additionally, Prof Acakpovi holds a Certificate in Doctoral Supervision at African Universities from the Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 2019 and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Higher Education with Distinction from the Coventry University, UK in 2018.
Prof Amevi Acakpovi has served in many prominent positions in ATU including, Head of Electrical/ Electronics Engineering Department (2012- 2018), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (2018-2020) and the Pro Vice-Chancellor from 2020 till date.
Originally from the field of Electrical, Electronic and Energy Systems Engineering, Prof Acakpovi’s areas of research include Hybrid Energy Systems, Mini and Microgrid Optimization, Smart Grid Modelling and Optimization, Solar and Wind Energy Modelling and Optimization, Artificial Intelligence in Energy Systems and Recommender Systems.
He is the author of more than 120 publications in International Journals including IEEE conferences, and transactions as well as other SCI-Indexed and EIIndexed journals.
He has experience in teaching and learning at the Graduate and undergraduate levels. He has taught extensively Masters’ level courses and supervised more than 50 MSc. thesis, and five PhD thesis from various recognized Universities.
He has consistently acted as an external PhD thesis reviewer/ assessor in his field of studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, the KNUST, UENR in Ghana, and the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin.
He was recently honoured as an international tutor for the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) owing to his remarkable contributions in cosupervising PhD students and leading them to publications in top journals.
Prof Acakpovi was a recipient of many awards and laurels including the award of Excellence in Research and Development Leadership by the Solar quarter Grandmaster Award in February 2023; the award of the Decade Researcher at the Applied Research Conference in Africa (ARCA) in August 2021 and the Stairs’ Award of Distinguished Professor in Electrical Engineering, at Pune, India in December 2021.
He received in 2018, the Best Paper Award at the 7th IEEE International Conference on Adaptive Science and Technology and subsequently the Best Track Paper Award in project management at the IEOM conference in South Africa in 2018. He has won many grants in his areas of study.
He successfully led a team to establish the ATU’s Sustainable Energy Service Centre with a grant by MIDA under the auspices of the Energy Commission.
The Centre is currently running and offering Energy Audit and Energy Performance Certification courses; He has also won twice the Ghana Skill Development Fund grant, thrice the Carnegie African Diasporan Fellowship Programmes to mention but a few.
Prof Acakpovi has a vast international exposure through his attendances of multiple conferences in countries including Germany, France, USA, China, Russia and Egypt.
Prof Acakpovi is a Christian and happily married with five children. He is a God-fearing person and an aspiring Evangelist
By Michael D. Abayateye
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
