Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Ghana, have agreed to assess the impact of their partnership within 12 months, with plans for faculty exchanges, joint research and greater industry involvement in technical education.

The agreement was reached during a five-day visit by the KsTU leadership to LASUSTECH from September 18 to 22, 2026, to strengthen the partnership established in 2023.

The partners said engineering will be the initial focus, with both institutions planning faculty exchange programmes supported by a logistics-swap arrangement. They also intend to appoint experienced industry professionals as professors of practice to strengthen practical training and improve the relevance of academic programmes.

The Vice-Chancellor of LASUSTECH, Professor OlumuyiwaOdusanya, said the partnership must deliver measurable outcomes beyond academic qualifications.

He identified curriculum development, postgraduate programmes and research addressing practical challenges as key priorities. He also stressed the need to build the capacity of non-teaching staff alongside academic collaboration.

Odusanya said progress would be assessed within 12 months, with joint research publications and the involvement of KsTU academics as external examiners for master’s programmes at LASUSTECH among the proposed indicators.

He also proposed developing new curricula from postgraduate to doctoral levels, alongside staff exchanges, joint supervision and research collaborations.

Other areas of cooperation include joint international conferences, student innovation challenges, technology and innovation fairs, and collaborative research.

The universities also agreed to profile their faculties and involve industry professionals in programme advisory committees, beginning with engineering, to strengthen competency-based curricula.

The vice-Chancellors said the institutions shared a common heritage, having both evolved from polytechnics into universities. They described the partnership as an important opportunity to advance technical education in Nigeria, Ghana and the wider West African region.

Speaking at a joint symposium themed “Nigeria–Ghana Partnership: Driving Technological Education and Innovation”, the Vice-Chancellor of KsTU, Professor Gabriel Dwomoh, said technical education was essential to innovation and national development.

He identified industry-aligned curricula, compulsory industrial internships, well-equipped laboratories and studios, and lecturers with industry experience as important requirements for effective technical education.

Dwomoh also called for a review of promotion criteria in Ghana and Nigeria, arguing that greater recognition should be given to professional experience rather than placing excessive emphasis on doctoral qualifications.

He said technical universities should recognise professors of practice who had accumulated decades of experience in industry and could bring practical knowledge into teaching.

The KsTU vice-chancellor further said both countries spent considerably less on technical and vocational education than the cited benchmark of 15 to 30 per cent. He expressed confidence that the partnership would help strengthen technical education in both countries.

The visit included meetings with academic departments and key stakeholders, laboratory inspections, facility tours and a visit to Badagry.

Other members of the KsTU delegation were Professor Babamu Osman Halidu, Deputy Director of Internationalisation and Advancement; MrsAmaKyerewaaBoakyeNti, Acting Registrar; and Mr Isaac OwusuAnsah, Finance Director.