IRID-KsTU Launches 2025 National Quiz to Drive Environmental Sustainability Among Senior High Schools
Picture: Prof. Smart Sarpong (seated, 3rd from right), in a group photograph with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (seated, second from right), with partners and members of the IRID project team.
Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), through its Institute of Research, Innovation and Development (IRID), has officially launched the 2025 National Quiz on Garbage Sorting and Environmental Sustainability a bold and timely initiative aimed at cultivating environmental responsibility, practical skills and innovation among Ghanaian youth.
The launch forms part of the wider Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF) 2025 Garbage Sorting Project, a collaborative initiative between IRID, CTVET (Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training), and other key partners. The project seeks to promote environmental awareness and hands-on sustainability education through a range of practical learning modules and national competitions.
The 2025 National Quiz Competition, which is a flagship activity under the project, will see the participation of 34 Senior High Schools across the Ashanti Region. It is expected to ignite interest in green practices and serve as a national model for integrating sustainability into education.
Speaking at the launch Deputy Director-General of CTVET, Mr. Abdul-Rahaman Zakaria, emphasised the urgent need for TVET institutions to embrace green innovation, environmental sustainability, and digital transformation to prepare learners for the realities of the 21st-century workforce.
He further called for the integration of sustainability principles into all technical and vocational curricula across the country, stressing that the future of technical education lies in its ability to address real-world challenges.
In a passionate address, Prof. (Mrs.) Abena A. Obiri-Yeboah, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of KsTU, described the initiative as a strategic intervention for developing the next generation of green-skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, and change-makers.
“With the infrastructure and training materials already in place, and our partners safely on board, we are confident that this project will serve as a model of excellence for other institutions,” she noted.
Prof. (Mrs.) Obiri‑Yeboah urged the Ashanti Regional Minister to support the integration of carbon sorting into Kumasi’s municipal system; appealed to funding partners to sustain their responsive, innovation‑driven assistance; called on Superstition Fire and Medical District (S.F.M.D.) and the Waste Management Fund to continue their pivotal implementation role; and invited traditional and cultural leaders to champion community ownership and widespread adoption of the initiative.
She also encouraged students, especially those from Technical and Industrial backgrounds, to rise up not just as interns but as solution-bearers and environmental advocates.
Professor Smart Sarpong, Director of IRID, explained at the launch that the initiative was aimed at inculcating in the people, through the competition, as to how to embrace the importance of separating waste to benefit their colleagues, households and the environment at the youngest age. He highlighted that the project exemplifies how research and innovation can be used to influence behavioral change and encourage sustainable development practices.
“This project is a practical demonstration of how research and innovation can drive behavioural change and sustainable development,” he stated.
The university remains committed to aligning education with employability, science with sustainability, and innovation with inclusivity, ensuring that Ghanaian youth are equipped not only with skills, but with purpose.
