The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has held its 2026 Students Projects Exhibition at its campus in Accra, gathering industry captains, tech enthusiasts and global development partners to witness the next generation of African innovations.
Held on the theme "Creative Minds, Sustainable Solutions," the annual event served as a high-powered launchpad for final-year students to showcase practical prototypes engineered to address critical socio-economic and environmental challenges.
Attendees, including representatives from the Mastercard Foundation, toured rows of functional inventions ranging from advanced agricultural machinery and automated recycling units to heavy-duty precision welding and fabrication equipment built to international standards.
The exhibition highlighted DTI's rigorous emphasis on precision fabrication, digital design workflows and entrepreneurial commercialisation.
Student teams pitched functional Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) targeting regional issues such as plastic waste, water sanitation and e-waste management.
Industry evaluators praised the integration of Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) workflows into the students' creations, noting that the mechanical integrity and market readiness of the prototypes could immediately bridge the technical skills gap in the sub-region's industrial sector.
Corporate partnerships
The leadership of DTI called for deeper corporate alliances, urging industrial partners to engage through graduate hiring pipelines, student internships and machinery sponsorships.
By demonstrating how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) could directly fuel sustainable, localised manufacturing, the 2026 exhibition solidified DTI's position as a premier hub for nurturing Africa's future industrial entrepreneurs and builders.
The Deputy Director-General for Corporate Services at the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Zakaria Abdul-Rahman, said TVET curricula must be driven by industry needs to ensure graduates are job-ready.
He emphasised that training programmes should align with market demand rather than be developed in isolation, underscoring a collaborative model where industry articulates requirements and co-develops curricula.
The goal, he argued, is for trainees to "fit into industry" upon completion and "be able to make a meaningful life" through relevant skills and employment.
He noted that students engage in substantial industry placements, "after they've gone to industry for six months", as part of a workplace experience learning approach that follows classroom instruction.
Mr Abdul-Rahman highlighted opportunities for experienced but uncertified workers, explaining that "you are a carpenter… you are already out there… we give you that opportunity, attach you to an institution, so that you also get the needed training."
This approach blends practical experience with formal theory to elevate competence and credentials.
He acknowledged government support for TVET and called for sustained resourcing to preserve its hands-on character.
