The agreement is to provide opportunities for training of both ATU and AMA staff, provide opportunities for internship and training of students and as well provide skills development and training for identifiable groups.

Both parties will identify pressing challenges in the city, including sanitation, and traffic control and find proactive solutions to them.  Professor Edmund Ameko, the Acting Vice Chancellor of ATU, signed for the University while Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Mayor of Accra signed for the AMA.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prof Ameko said the partnership would develop and promote tourist sites within the city, identify and promote business opportunities to attract investors and organise workshops, seminars and certificate courses.

The Professor stated that, the University, as part of the agreement, would make available their skills and expertise and facilities to the AMA for training, give information to AMA from the joint research and disseminate regular feedback on the collaboration for improvement.

He said the collaboration forms part of the University’s vision to a global excellence in competency-based and practice-oriented training, applied research and technology transfer. Prof Ameko said the University must play its role in society by actively helping to provide solutions to improve the livelihoods of the citizenry.

“We can no longer continue to bury our heads in theories in the classrooms. Our beneficial outputs must be seen to be creating jobs, creating wealth, producing food and improving lives”, he added.

The Mayor Accra on his part said he would provide expertise for infrastructure development at ATU and offer internship opportunities for students and staff of ATU for practical-based training.

Mr Sowah said the AMA would provide resource persons for seminars for staff and students of ATU to advance local government administration and expressed the hope both parties would adhere to the tenets of the agreement for mutual benefits in improving the city and the country at large.

In a related development, the Mayor also signed a cooperative agreement with the Birim South District Assembly in Accra to share ideas and experiences on best practices in improving the assemblies.

He said the agreement focused on sanitation and revenue mobilisation, among others and urged other assemblies to follow suit to build synergy to identify strengths and weaknesses to chart a way in addressing the challenges.

He said it was imperative for all district assemblies to strengthen collaborations to improve their responsibilities in local governance. Mr Richmond Amponsah, the District Chief Executive of Birim South District Assembly, expressed satisfaction about the collaboration and promised to commit to the agreement for their mutual benefits.