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African leaders urged to commit more to science,
technology
Accra, June 30, Ghanadot/GNA - This
year’s Scientific Revival Day of Africa was marked in Accra
on Monday with a call on African leaders to be more
committed to the use of science and technology to save the
continent from energy, food and water crisis.
The Day, celebrated on June 30 each year, was adopted during
the 46th Ministerial Conference of the then Organization of
African Unity (OAU), now African Union, to deliberate on the
role of science and technology in addressing socio-economic
challenges in Africa.
It brought together scientists for discussion at a day’s
workshop under the theme: “Food, Water and Energy
Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation.”
Professor Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah, Director General of the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said
at the opening of the workshop that threats of global
warming, energy and food insecurity called for scientific
revival and rejuvenation in Africa.
He said there was the need for strong deliberations on these
challenges and cooperation among member states to address
them.
On what Ghana could do, Prof. Owusu-Bennoah entreated
government to accept new responsibilities to promote the
flow of new scientific knowledge and the development of
science specific talents.
“Ghana could base its science and technology policies more
firmly on long range consideration and link these policies
to societal goals through more comprehensive assessment of
opportunities, costs and benefits,” he added.
The Director-General said supporting only basic research was
not enough to revamp the science and technology sector.
“If this continues, the problems we have encountered for
many years, such as those regarding food, water and energy
and the difficulties of meeting the Millennium Development
Goals, could overwhelm promising opportunities for
progress,” Professor Owusu-Bennoah noted.
Dr George Owusu Essegbey, Director of the Science and
Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), said Ghana
had the mandate to lead interactions and exchange of ideas
to formulate public policies and programmes that utilised
science, technology and innovation for socio-economic
development.
He indicated that as part of initiatives to promote science
and technology, STEPRI was facilitating an initiative of the
World Bank to undertake practical steps in creating
innovation centres and business incubators for the
agricultural and food processing sectors through the support
of research institutions, universities and industries.
Dr. Essegbey urged all Africans to make good use of
opportunities at their disposal and expressed the hope that
Ghana could lead the way in Africa in making the best
technology choices.
Mr. Kwame Owusu Frimpong, Chairman of the Parliamentary
Select Committee on Environment, Science and Technology in a
speech read on his behalf attributed the poor coordination
between science and technology and development to the notion
in Africa that “technology is a consumable item and not
something that could be produced or created”.
He hinted that the Academy of Arts and Sciences was
currently working with the Select Committee to equip Members
of Parliament to make informed decisions and contributions
at the floor of Parliament to push the agenda of science and
technology forward.
GNA
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