Accra, June 30, 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. 30 June 08
