Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) has celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of academic excellence and growth. However, the milestone also served as an opportunity to highlight the institution’s pressing need for improved infrastructure.
Speaking at the anniversary ceremony held on the university’s main campus in Sumbrungo, Vice Chancellor Prof. Samuel Erasmus Alnaa emphasized the urgent need for upgraded facilities.
“Our current infrastructure cannot support the growing population of students, particularly in terms of lecture halls and other essential facilities,” he stated.
Prof. Alnaa noted that the congestion has resulted in extended lecture hours, as no single hall can accommodate the large number of students. Furthermore, lecturers lack offices to conduct research and prepare for classes, underscoring the need for a proposed 1,920-student capacity lecture hall and office complex, estimated to cost hundreds of millions of Ghana cedis.
The Vice Chancellor used the occasion to appeal to the government, individuals, organizations, and relevant stakeholders to support the university in addressing its infrastructure challenges.
“We are appealing to all philanthropic bodies, individuals, and the government because the estimated cost is running into hundreds of millions, which individuals alone cannot afford,” he said.
Speaking on the theme “25 Years of Sustainable TVET Development: Journeying to Technological Advancement,” the Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, hailed the transformative role of technical education in Ghana’s industrialization agenda.
Mr. Akamugri reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening TVET infrastructure and policies, urging closer collaboration between academia and industries.
“Collaboration among stakeholders is critical to ensuring our graduates remain competitive in an evolving technological world,” he said.
As a Special Guest of Honour on behalf of the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, the Deputy Minister, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, pledged sustained investment in technical universities as engines of workforce development.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHz | David Azure | BTU
