Govt, private partnership key for national development — Eastern Regional Minister

The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has stressed that the government would continue to partner the private tertiary educational institutions for national development.

This will help to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's transformation agenda.

He said through partnerships with private tertiary institutions, the government could play a significant role in strengthening human resource capabilities, fostering innovation and supporting entrepreneurship.

"This collaboration allows us to nurture a skilled workforce that aligns with the needs of a growing economy, providing greater employment opportunities and driving economic growth," Mr Acheampong added.

The regional minister said this at a joint matriculation and third Congregation of the Akim State University at Asene, near Akim Oda, last Saturday.

His address was delivered on his behalf by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Asene-Manso-Akroso,  Alex Incoom.

Research, investment

Mr Acheampong emphasised that since innovation and research played a crucial role in the pursuit of national development, collaboration between private institutions and the government could foster research and development initiatives, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements across various sectors.

He said the partnership between the government and private tertiary institutions did not only align with Ghana's commitment to the SDGs but also fulfilled the President's agenda for national transformation.

The regional minister seized the opportunity to commend the founder of Akim State University, Nana Yaw Asare Djikunu, for his vision, selflessness and unmatched entrepreneurial passion to complement government's efforts to provide tertiary education.

Ceremony

The Dean of Social Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Kabila Abass, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, awarded degrees to the 104 graduands and officially welcomed the 180 matriculants at the ceremony.

The overall best graduating student, a Nigerian, Emmanuel Oyebanji, was presented with a citation.

He said “You must be proud alumni of an institution affiliated with KNUST, the premier destination for quality education globally, having been ranked the best in 2023 by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in its fifth edition.

Prof. Abass said Akim State University College (ASUC), in collaboration with KNUST, had trained and prepared the graduands for service to humanity and urged them to help solve the myriad of challenges confronting society today such as economic, socio-cultural, political, unemployment, rising poverty, inequality, armed robbery, substance abuse, cybercrime, climate change, among others.

Location

The principal of the university, Prof. Dominic S.Y. Amuzu, said the location of the institution saved students from travelling long distances to Kumasi, Accra and other places for tertiary education leading to the award of degrees.

He said ASUC, like any other private university college, was facing enrolment or admission of students' problems unlike the public institutions.

Prof. Amuzu, therefore, appealed to the government to award scholarships to the needy brilliant students as was the case in public universities and also urged the Ministry of Education to amend the GETFund Act to enable private tertiary institutions to access support from the fund.