Four Major Awards at National Technical University Research Conference
Including the Most Coveted Prize — Overall Best Paper Presentation

A Historic Achievement for DHLTU
Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University — Takoradi, 31 May 2026: The Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University (DHLTU) has returned from Takoradi with an unprecedented haul of academic honours, having won four major individual awards at the 4th Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities of Ghana (ARCTUG 2026). The conference was held from 29 to 31 May 2026 at Takoradi Technical University, bringing together researchers, academics, industry practitioners, and policymakers from all ten technical universities across Ghana.

In a competition that drew the finest scholarly minds from Ghana’s technical university system, DHLTU’s faculty members stood out for both the rigour of their research and the quality of their oral presentations, capturing the conference’s most prestigious individual prizes.

Summary of Awards Won by DHLTU at ARCTUG 2026
Award
DHLTU Winner

🥇
Overall Best Paper Presentation
Mr Sixtus Bayaa Martin Saana

🏆
Best Industry Relevant Paper
Mr Sixtus Bayaa Martin Saana

🎖
Best Female Presenter
Madam Patricia Glago

📜
Best Research Paper Award
Madam Rhoda Saan

🏅
Certificate of Innovation Participation
Mr Obed (‘Rasta’) — Innovation Exhibition

Mr Sixtus Bayaa Martin Saana receiving the Overall Best Paper Presentation Award at ARCTUG 2026.
The most remarkable individual story from ARCTUG 2026 belongs to Mr Sixtus Bayaa Martin Saana, a faculty member of DHLTU, who accomplished the rare feat of winning two major awards at a single conference. Mr Saana claimed the Overall Best Paper Presentation award — the single most competitive individual prize of ARCTUG 2026, contested across all participating technical universities — and simultaneously won the Best Industry Relevant Paper award.
The Overall Best Paper Presentation award recognises the researcher who delivers the most outstanding scholarly presentation before a panel of academic judges drawn from all participating institutions. It is the pinnacle of individual recognition at the ARCTUG conference. Mr Saana’s concurrent win of the Best Industry Relevant Paper award further underscores the dual excellence of his work — both in scholarly presentation and in its practical significance to industry and national development.
Madam Patricia Glago: Best Female Presenter

Madam Patricia Glago, a faculty member of DHLTU, was honoured with the Best Female Presenter award, which celebrates outstanding scholarly presentation by a female researcher across all technical universities participating in ARCTUG 2026. Her recognition affirms the strength and calibre of female academics at DHLTU and the institution’s continuing commitment to inclusive research excellence.
Best Research Paper: Digital Marketing, Fintech and Economic Transformation.

The Best Research Paper citation — the most prestigious recognition for written academic contribution at the conference — was awarded to the DHLTU team. The award was received on behalf of the research team by Madam Rhoda Saan. The award-winning paper, presented on the theme of Digital Marketing, Fintech and Economic Transformation, was adjudged the finest written research contribution of the entire conference — a remarkable achievement in a thematic area of growing national relevance to Ghana’s digital economy.
Innovation Exhibition: Certificate of Participation
DHLTU’s participation extended beyond paper presentations into the Innovation Display Exhibition, where Mr Obed Kwesi Ayitey (widely known as ‘Rasta’) received a Certificate of Innovation Participation for the institution’s exhibit, further demonstrating the institution’s broad-based engagement with applied research and innovation.

Leadership Comment

“This achievement is a proud moment for our institution. The recognition of our faculty at the national level — especially the Overall Best Paper Presentation award — affirms the quality and impact of research being conducted at DHLTU. We congratulate our community.”
— Ing Prof. Hamidatu Darimani (Vice Chancellor of DHLTU)

About ARCTUG 2026

The Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities of Ghana (ARCTUG) is the premier annual research gathering for Ghana’s ten technical universities. The 4th edition of the conference was hosted by Takoradi Technical University from 29 to 31 May 2026. The conference provides a platform for faculty, researchers, and postgraduate students to present original research, engage with industry partners, and advance the applied research agenda of the technical university sector in Ghana.

ARCTUG 2026 featured paper presentations, innovation exhibitions, industry panels, and a gala awards dinner that celebrated individual and institutional research excellence. DHLTU’s performance this year marks its strongest showing at ARCTUG to date.

Source: Upper West Media App