Ho Technical University (HTU) has won the bid to host the Ghana Circular Economy Project Centre, a collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
A team from UNIDO visited HTU on July 11, 2024, to assess the University’s readiness and engage with key personnel.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ben Honyenuga assured the team of HTU’s commitment to technical and practical education, staff support, and provision of office space for the project. “We aim to be a reference point for such initiatives and have the capacity to implement this project successfully.”
The Centre will focus on capacity building, resource mobilization, research, policy influence, and advocacy for five years. The Ghana Circular Economy project aims to commercialize circular economy technologies for women, youth, private sector organizations, and the informal sector, with goals to develop over 200 business models, train 2000 entrepreneurs, and facilitate national and international exchanges.
HTU will provide an enabling environment for creativity and innovation, support circular economy mapping, develop policy briefs, and participate in innovation pilot programs. The project will initially focus on plastic, agriculture, and textile sectors, led by partner institutions.
UNIDO’s Officer-in-Charge, Stavros Papastavrou, expressed hope for a successful collaboration. HTU’s project team lead, Dr. Harrison Adjimah, emphasized the university’s excitement to host the Centre, which will put Ho and HTU on the global map and benefit small businesses and the informal sector.
The Ghana Circular Economy Centre Project, launched in 2022, aims to support Ghana’s transition to a circular economy with an estimated budget of 7.5 million Canadian dollars.