The Minister for Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, on Monday, 5th May 2025, inaugurated the new Governing Council of Tamale Technical University (TaTU) at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Accra. Delivering a firm yet forward-looking address, the Minister urged the Council to provide decisive leadership that would restore institutional harmony, entrench good governance, and elevate the University’s role in national development.
“The Governing Council is the most important organ in the governance and administration of Tamale Technical University,” the Minister stated. He called on members to lead with integrity and foster a spirit of unity within the university community. “The Board should promote and advance harmony. Tamale Technical University, when it was Tamale Polytechnic, was the most sought-after technical institution in Ghana. It should not be known for strikes and conflicts,” he cautioned.
Honourable Iddrisu further charged the Council with repositioning the University as a driving force in job creation and economic transformation. “Tamale Technical University must drive employability. It must produce an entrepreneurial class to support the government’s 24-hour economy,” he remarked.
Addressing broader national policy issues, the Minister highlighted the proposed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Fund as a key instrument for skills development. “When the TVET Fund is established, it should be enshrined in law that at least twenty-five per cent of its allocation supports national apprenticeship training,” he stated. He added that the government had already provided seed funding for the Fund and encouraged the University to strategically position itself to access support.
The Minister acknowledged the University’s existing infrastructure constraints, citing the abandoned AstroTurf project and overcrowded facilities. “I am aware of your infrastructure distress, including the abandoned AstroTurf and overcrowding. The Board must support government in its commitment to uplift infrastructure at Tamale Technical University. Government will give priority attention,” he assured.
He revealed that Tamale Technical University is under consideration to be designated as a national Centre of Excellence in Technical and Vocational Education and Training. On current public sector reforms, the Minister clarified that academics are exempt from the recently announced restrictions on post-retirement contracts.
Alhaji Seidu Iddi, Chairperson of the newly inaugurated Council, expressed gratitude to the President and the Minister for the confidence reposed in the members. He pledged the Council’s commitment to institutional peace, academic excellence, and industry relevance. “We accept this responsibility with humility and resolve. Our focus will be on rebuilding the institution’s image and aligning academic programmes with industry and national needs,” he affirmed.
Alhaji Iddi brings a wealth of experience in public administration and development management. A former Minister under the Rawlings administration and past Chief Executive Officer of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, he has held several senior roles in international agricultural and development organisations, including managing programmes funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology between 1972 and 1976. He later obtained a Master of Science in Agricultural Extension from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom in 1992 and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Resource Management in Agriculture from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in 1993.
The Council also includes Professor Bashiru Imoro Ibn Saeed, Vice-Chancellor of Tamale Technical University, Government nominees Hajia Rahmat Abdul-Moomin, Mr. Yahaya Alhassan and Dr. Fatimah Von Abubakari. Dr. Saaka Sayuti represents the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, while Dr. Peter Boahen represents the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
Other members include Mr. Cosmos Alhassan from the Ghana Employers Association, Mrs. Salma Abdullai and Mr. Tsri Felix Kwame from the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools. The University’s internal representation comprises Dr. Abdul-Rahaman Haadi and Mr. Zakaria Mutawakilu (Convocation), Mr. Alhassan Fatawu (Teaching Staff), Mr. Salifu Sulley Zakaria (Senior Staff), Mr. Seidu Safianu (Undergraduate Student Representative), Mr. Asigri Solomon and Mr. Abdul Ganiwu Inusah (Graduate Students), Dr. Jamal-Deen Kukurah (Alumni Representative), and Mrs. Mariama Mahama from the Association of Principals of Technical Institutes.