Six students from Accra Technical University’s Interior Design and Upholstery Technology Department have been awarded full tuition scholarships under the Ideal Home Deco Empowering Futures Scholarship Awards. The winners were honoured at a ceremony on 20th February, following a competition that showcased their skills in open-concept design, swimming pool design, and furniture design. Speaking at the event, Professor Amevi Acakpovi, Acting Vice-Chancellor of ATU, praised Ideal Home Deco for its strong industry-academia partnership and called on more companies to invest in student development.
Mr. Tony Haikal, CEO of Ideal Home Deco, described the scholarship as an investment in students’ potential and careers, while Mrs. Audrey Forson, President of Interior Designers and Decorators Ghana, commended the initiative for promoting creativity and professionalism in the industry.
Professor Amevi Acakpovi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Accra Technical University (ATU), praised the students for their innovative projects, which have earned them fully funded scholarships.
The competition featured three categories, with Sonia Anne Carole winning the furniture design category, Anthony Doe taking the swimming pool design award, and Dawson Aziz emerging as the open-concept design winner. Each of the six scholarship recipients received full tuition coverage and souvenirs, while other finalists were awarded cash prizes.
The Ideal Home Deco Empowering Futures Scholarship Award, established through a partnership between ATU and Ideal Home Deco, aims to provide hands-on training and industry exposure, ensuring that young designers have the resources and opportunities needed to excel in their careers.
Winners and Categories
Furniture Design: Sonia Anne Carole (1st prize), Gloria Oluwatosin (2nd prize)
Swimming Pool Design: Anthony Doe (1st prize), Selina Appiah (2nd prize)
Open-Concept Design: Dawson Aziz (1st prize), Rhoda Ama Nyarko (2nd prize)
Background
On June 21, 2024, ATU entered into a memorandum of understanding with Ideal Home Deco to support innovation in interior design and furniture production. The call for entries for the design competition opened in August 2024, inviting students to develop creative and functional interior concepts. Out of the 24 submissions received, 10 were shortlisted and proceeded to an oral presentation stage, where they competed for six available scholarship slots.