Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was on Friday adjudged the most outstanding science and technology electronic media in 2011 by the Science and Technology Advocacy Renaissance Foundation for Africa (STARFA).
Mr Bright Sogbey, President and Chief Executive Officer of STARFA, presenting the award in Accra said, the African Continent had been endowed with vast natural and human resources, yet it was lagging behind due to lack of application of scientific research and technology.
"Scientific research findings by research organisations has not been made useful,"he added.
Mr Sogbey announced that STARFA had instituted an Annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Award, to serve as a force to strengthen relationships between research, development and quality of life in an ordered cyclic fashion for sustainable development.
He said categories of the STEM award, include most outstanding science and technology journalist and media of the year, most outstanding institution, most outstanding science and technology professional group, most outstanding scientist, outstanding engineer, outstanding science and technology promo company, with the most outstanding inventor and science and technology research team as the overall winner.
Mr Sogbey said although the awards committee chaired by Professor Aba Bentil considered more than 10 major television stations and 20 radio stations, close monitoring and research placed GBC on top.
“Key areas considered were establishment of science desk, priority to scientific and development oriented programmes that enhance information communication technology transfer and accurate science and technology reporting, “he added.
Mr Appiah Kubi, Head of GBC’s Science and Technology Desk, receiving the award said categories of developed countries were based on their technological achievements.
“Companies in these countries are producing vehicles, mobile phones, aeroplanes, computers and heavy earth moving equipments on an average, in every three seconds,” he added.
Mr Appiah Kubi noted that emerging economies such as India, China and Malaysia, used science and technology to break the economic chains around their necks, therefore, Africa needed to revamp its science and technology industry to ensure economic independence.
"Africa in this 21st Century depending on traditional farming methods for the production of maize, cocoa and other cash crops, cannot compete with the technological production rate in the developed continents."
Mr Appiah Kubi expressed appreciation to the team for recognising their efforts in educating the public on science and technology, saying the award was a challenge to them to improve in research, innovations, ideas, creativity and discoveries.
He called on the Government to assist all science and technology institutions, to help promote innovation among Ghanaians.
