Polytechnics to get free stands at ECOWAS Fair – Minister

Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, has said the engineering departments of Ghana’s polytechnics would have free stands at the seventh Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Fair to be held from October 31 to November 11.

He said polytechnics were doing well in the areas of inventions and innovations and that it was imperative they were motivated to do more.

“Students at the polytechnics are doing incredibly well by making inventions that can boost trade and industry in Ghana and I believe that with a little support from us, they can do more for the nation,” he said at the Eastern Regional Launch of the ECOWAS Fair in Koforidua on Wednesday.

He said the Ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Education to institute a competition among the polytechnics to ginger them to make greater inventions for the nation.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye urged all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to consider channeling some contracts to the polytechnics.

He also called on Ghanaian businessmen and women as well as the Small Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of this year’s ECOWAS Fair since it was going to create enabling avenue for them to interact with their counterparts from other countries.

Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, the Eastern Regional Minister, urged Ghanaians, especially the SMEs, to strengthen their entrepreneurial abilities and to showcase Ghana’s products to the international world.

Professor Reynolds Okine, Rector of the Koforidua Polytechnic and Chairman, called on the government and stakeholders to encourage Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) to expand trade and industry.

Source: GNA