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‘Technical universities can develop country if aided in research’
• Inset: A section of the participants
Technical universities have once again given the indication that they are capable of aiding in the accelerated development of the country when adequately assisted in their research work.
A collection of research findings which were on display at the 2nd Annual Applied Research Conference, held at the Accra Technical University (ATU) gave credence to this assertion.![• Professor Samuel Nii Odai [left] presenting an award to Dr Kenneth Fafa Egbadzor Photos Okai Elizabeth.](https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Professor-Samuel-Nii-Odai-left-presenting-an-award-to-Dr-Kenneth-Fafa-Egbadzor-Photos-Okai-Elizabeth.jpg)
The research findings on display at the conference which worn awards were, Baobab domestication initiative, construction monitoring with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and Characterisation of solar cell efficiency Under North-East Trade Winds Conditions.
Others were the exhibition of smart farm, manufactured drone satellite, fish smoker and pilot scale production and assessment of fuel from plastic waste.
The rest were analysis of skilled-based competence of selected garment firms in Ghana using the resource-based view (RBV) theory, and the effect of traffic congestion on productivity in Ghana: evidence from AtwimaNsabiagya Municipality, Ashanti Region.
The conference was held under the auspices of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (Corporation), Volta River Authority, Anointed Pillars Associates Limited, Ghana Gas, Kantanka SUV, Ace Medical Insurance.
President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo, in a speech read on his behalf by the Minster of Environment Science and Technology, DrKwakuAfriyie, assured that the government would provide the relevant support to technical universities to produce graduates with employable and technological skills.
He said government was rejuvenating Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education by providing funding and infrastructural support, adding that the collaboration between technical universities and industry players would provide solutions to societal problems.
Prof Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST), Kumasi, in a keynote address, stressed that there was the need to develop biofuels and electronic cars to reduce environmental and ecological pollution, and promote the use of biodegradable waste to protect the environment.
The Vice Chancellor said utility models have played key roles in the industrial development of countries such as South Korea, India, Japan and Germany, and Ghana would not be an exception if the country’s innovative strategies embraced utility models.
She was of the view that with the right training, skills development, the right attitude and an enhanced entrepreneurial acumen inculcated into our graduates, the country would groom more employers rather than employees.
According to her, researchers should contrive ways of recycling waste into useful products, adding that their research work would only be relevant if geared to impact humanity positively.
The Vice Chancellor said entrepreneurship was an essential element for economic progress as it had established its importance in diverse ways. These included identifying, assessing and exploiting business opportunities, creating new firms and renewing existing ones by making them more dynamic.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Madam GiftyTwum-Ampofo, said the ministry held the view that TVET was a vehicle for development, and thus has invested in the development of infrastructure and human resources to help reap its benefits.
Dr Wilfred Anim-Odame, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Accra Technical University (ATU), who chaired the function said such conferences had been recognised globally as important platforms to unearth solutions to local and national problems relating to education, finance, engineering, health, environment, among others.
He urged participants to use their wealth of knowledge and experience to make the necessary recommendations that would help thenation to unleash untapped natural resources.
The Chairman of the Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities –Ghana (VCTU-G), and the VC of Ho Technical University, Prof Ben Q Hoenyenugah in his introductory address, said the conference would serve as a bridging platform for industry-academia research collaboration towards creating home-grown solutions by using innovative technical tools.
Prof Samuel NiiOdai, the Vice-Chancellor of ATU said innovation depended on knowing the basic facts through research, and that research fueled innovation, adding that the conference provided a platform to share discoveries and make discussions that would lead to applying the discoveries to improve quality of life.
By Raymond Kyekye & Pamela Davordzie
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
