Dr E.K. Hayford, an Education Consultant, on Tuesday, said converting Polytechnics to Technical Universities is very essential for national development.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr Hayford said upgrading Polytechnics to Technical Universities would help produce the needed quality and quantity research engineers and scientists for industrial expansion.

He said “Our Atomic Energy Installations are now assessing energy production for peaceful purposes and Ghana would sooner than later be planning for Space Research and rocket Science to support our telecommunication industry.

“Soon the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation`s oil exploration unit would be expanding at higher rates to take control over exploration in the next 50 – 70 years and there is also the possibility that cars, trains, and aircraft would be manufactured in the near future.

All these Industries require adequate human resource supply which can be produced only by Technical Universities”.

“The rate of growth needed for the expansion of Ghana’s technical industries is so high, that we cannot depend on Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology alone to fulfill the qualitative and quantitative mandate,” he said.

He, however, urged the government to put the necessary measures in place to ensure a smooth upgrade of the Polytechnics into Technical Universities.