President John Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government has allocated GH¢100 million for Ghana’s 10 Technical Universities in the 2027 budget, with each institution expected to receive GH¢10 million to support infrastructure, innovation and skills development.
The President made the announcement on Tuesday, May 26, while officially opening the 2026 Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities of Ghana (ARCTUG 2026) at Takoradi Technical University.
According to him, the allocation forms part of the government’s broader commitment to strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and positioning technical universities at the centre of Ghana’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
President Mahama noted that 2026 marks exactly 10 years since the conversion of polytechnics into technical universities, stressing the need to adequately resource the institutions to enable them to effectively deliver on their mandate.
He emphasized that technical universities remain critical to producing the skilled workforce needed to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial growth across the country.
Research Exhibitions
The President, accompanied by Vice-Chancellors of all 10 Technical Universities, also inspected innovative projects and research exhibitions by students and lecturers before officially declaring the conference open.
ARCTUG is a biennial conference organised under the auspices of the Vice-Chancellors of Ghana’s Technical Universities. The conference serves as a platform for policymakers, academics, industry players and development partners to discuss applied research and innovation for national development.
This year’s edition, hosted by Takoradi Technical University, is expected to feature the presentation of more than 276 research papers from participants within Ghana and abroad.
Greater Investment in TVET
Speaking on the conference theme, “Advancing TVET for Innovation, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development,” the Vice-Chancellor of Takoradi Technical University, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun, called for increased investment and institutional support to enable technical universities to contribute effectively to Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, assured participants that the Ministry remains committed to ensuring adequate funding for TVET education to maximise its impact on national development.
