Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) has graduated 782 students at its 2026 Special Congregation. The graduands, comprising 334 males and 448 females, received Master of Science degrees, National Certificate I qualifications and certificates for specialised short courses at a ceremony held on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the university’s Library Complex at Sumbrungu.
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Osei Boamah, said the university urgently needed a dedicated lecture hall complex, adequate office accommodation and modern technological equipment to support teaching, research and administration.
He said the infrastructure deficits posed challenges to the university’s expansion ambitions and called for increased government investment and private-sector partnerships to provide the needed facilities.
Professor Boamah said the 782 graduands included 14 Master of Science graduates, while the National Certificate I category accounted for the majority.
The National Certificate I graduates comprised 242 in Garment Making, 28 in Welding and Fabrication, 70 in Automobile Engineering, 176 in Electrical Engineering Technology, and 224 in Catering and Hospitality Management.
Another 27 students received certificates for short courses in specialised technical fields, including mining engineering maintenance, engine diagnostics and advanced welding.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor noted that the female graduates outnumbered their male counterparts, describing the trend as an indication of progress in efforts to promote women’s participation in technical and vocational education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
He also announced that the ceremony marked the first graduating cohorts from six programmes, including MSc Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management; MSc Animal Science; MSc Crop Science; MSc Irrigation and Drainage Engineering; National Certificate I; and certificates for short courses.
He congratulated the pioneering graduates and urged them to apply the knowledge and practical skills acquired to solve problems, create businesses and contribute to community development.
Professor Boamah said BTU had expanded its competency-based training curricula to equip students with practical skills relevant to industry.
He also highlighted the establishment of the Sustainable Energy Centre, which is expected to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The university, he added, won the 2026 Women in Engineering (WiNE) Affair national competition with a student-developed smart emergency flood monitoring system, beating 18 other tertiary institutions, including the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Ghana.
He said the university’s engineering and technical short courses were also helping to address skills gaps in the mining, manufacturing and automotive sectors.
In an address delivered on behalf of the Governing Council Chairman, Professor Gilbert Abotisem Abiiro also appealed to the government for special financial clearance to construct a multipurpose lecture hall, which he said had been on the drawing board for some time.
He further disclosed that the government had promised to allocate 10 million Ghana cedis to the university for infrastructure development in the 2026/2027 academic year. The university authorities said the proposed investment would help improve the learning environment and strengthen BTU’s capacity to deliver technical and professional education.
The Governing Council said BTU remained committed to developing competent, innovative, ethical and enterprising graduates capable of responding to the changing needs of industry, business and public service.
The Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, Roland Atanga Ayoo, called for stronger collaboration between the university and the Municipal Assembly to address development challenges in the municipality.
He said the university’s research capacity, technical expertise and academic resources could help tackle issues relating to sanitation, agriculture, waste management, renewable energy, digital innovation, enterprise development and youth employment.
Mr Ayoo encouraged the university to support the Assembly with research-based interventions and to promote student projects that respond to real community needs. He said stronger partnerships between the two institutions would help ensure that academic research produced practical solutions for local development.
Addressing the graduands, the MCE urged them to demonstrate integrity, professionalism, innovation and a commitment to lifelong learning.
A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Joshua Asaah | Sumbrungu
