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By Praise Adeagba
Tertiary institutions in Africa must strengthen their role in closing the continent’s persistent knowledge and research gap, Prof. Clement K. Dzidonu, President of the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), has said.
He stated this at the university’s 21st graduation ceremony and also used the opportunity to congratulate the 1,094 new students who matriculated into the institution.
This is as he urged Africa’s youth to embrace innovation and research-driven education.
Dzidonu emphasised that the global talent economy is still largely dominated by Asia and other regions, but Africa—with its rapidly growing youth population—must position itself as a strong contributor by building capacity and fostering innovation.
Research indicates that the number of graduates from African universities is expected to reach 1.9 million annually by 2030, yet many economies still face a significant skills deficit.
According to him, the gap highlights the urgent need for universities to adopt a competence-based and practical education approach to align graduates with labour market demands.
His words: “In more than two decades, we have been fostering a culture of innovation at AIT, preparing our students for critical roles in the emerging economies of Africa.”
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The ceremony celebrated the graduation of 505 students across bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programmes. A major highlight was the 13th consecutive year of PhD graduations, with AIT surpassing 80 doctoral graduates to date.
Impressively, many of these alumni have attained professorial ranks within three years, reinforcing AIT’s role in producing world-class researchers and innovators.
Distinguished academics, including Prof. Emeritus Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, speaking on behalf of Emeritus Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, praised AIT’s dedication to talent development and academic excellence.
Ranked as Ghana’s top private university by the Ghana Tertiary Awards, AIT has consistently won the best technology university in Ghana award for four consecutive years. It has also been recognised internationally as Ghana’s best technology-focused university by Global Business Insight (UK).
AIT is fully accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and offers both campus-based and Open University programmes.
The institute collaborates with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for undergraduate programmes and with the Open University of Malaysia for postgraduate and doctoral programmes.
The university is committed to strengthening its collaborations with leading universities worldwide to advance research, academic innovation, and R&D capacity. The institution aims to continue producing graduates who are equipped with the digital skills, research competence, and innovation mindset needed to thrive in Africa’s rapidly changing economy.
