By Irikefe Oghenetega Victor
The Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Ghana, have agreed to deliver measurable results from their academic partnership within 12 months, with engineering education, collaborative research, faculty exchanges and industry engagement identified as key priorities.
The agreement followed a five-day working visit by the KsTU leadership to LASUSTECH from September 18 to 22, 2026, aimed at strengthening the existing partnership between the two institutions and translating their collaboration into practical outcomes for Nigeria, Ghana and the wider West African region.
Both universities agreed to introduce faculty exchange programmes in engineering, supported by a logistics-swap arrangement. They also plan to promote industry engagement through the appointment of experienced professionals and academics as “professors of practice” to bring practical industry knowledge into teaching and learning.
Other areas of collaboration include joint international conferences, student innovation challenges, technology and innovation fairs, and collaborative research. The institutions also agreed to profile their respective faculties and involve industry professionals in programme advisory committees to strengthen competency-based curricula, beginning with engineering programmes.
LASUSTECH Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odusanya, said engineering would be the initial focus of the partnership but emphasised that the collaboration should also strengthen the capacity and competencies of non-teaching staff. He stressed the importance of achieving tangible outcomes beyond academic qualifications, particularly in curriculum development, postgraduate education and problem-solving research.
Professor Odusanya proposed a 12-month timeframe for assessing progress, identifying joint research publications and the involvement of KsTU academics as external examiners for master’s programmes at LASUSTECH as potential indicators of success. He also highlighted plans for new curricula extending from postgraduate programmes to doctoral studies, alongside staff exchanges, joint supervision and research addressing practical challenges.
The KsTU delegation was led by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gabriel Dwomoh, who was accompanied by Professor Babamu Osman Halidu, Deputy Director of Internationalisation and Advancement; Mrs Ama Kyerewaa Boakye Nti, Acting Registrar; and Mr Isaac Owusu Ansah, Finance Director. The visit builds on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two universities in 2023.
Speaking at a joint symposium themed “Nigeria–Ghana Partnership: Driving Technological Education and Innovation”, Professor Dwomoh described technical education as an engine of innovation, stressing that sustained attention to technology is essential for national development. He identified industry-aligned curricula, compulsory industrial internships, well-equipped laboratories and studios, and lecturers with industrial experience as essential components of effective technical education.
Professor Dwomoh also criticised promotion criteria in Nigeria and Ghana for placing greater emphasis on doctoral qualifications than professional experience. He called for technical universities to give greater recognition to “professors of practice” with decades of industry experience, arguing that their expertise could contribute significantly to practical training and skills development.
He further observed that both countries spend considerably less on technical and vocational education than the cited benchmark of 15 to 30 per cent. Despite these concerns, he expressed confidence that the partnership between LASUSTECH and KsTU would contribute to strengthening technical education in both countries.
The five-day visit featured interactive sessions with academic departments, technical meetings with key stakeholders, laboratory inspections and facility tours, as well as the joint symposium and a visit to Badagry. Both vice-chancellors highlighted the shared institutional heritage of the universities, which evolved from polytechnics into universities, describing the partnership as a long-overdue initiative with strategic importance for the West African region.
The collaboration will now be assessed against the proposed 12-month timeframe, with attention focused on practical progress in research, curriculum development, staff development and industry engagement.
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