Increased investment in technology will propel national development – Prof. McBagonluri

Engineer and inventor, Professor Fred McBagonluri has advocated for increased investment in Ghana's technology space to propel development and create jobs.

According to him, this investment in the sector will ensure Ghana can take advantage of emerging trends to create jobs, especially for the youth.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb Business on the sidelines of the Tech Job Fair in Accra, Prof. McBagonluri who is also president of the Academic City University College said technology can be leveraged to propel the country's National Development Plan.

“We need to take advantage of the technological advances; people can actually be in Ghana and work for companies abroad and so I believe we need to have some entrepreneurial funding to support young adults who have great ideas waiting to launch”.

“…As a nation, we also need to figure out how technology can become an integral part of our National Development Plan. For instance, key sectors of the economy such as agriculture, and technology can be used to develop drones, insecticides and other equipment to assist in farming practices.”

Prof. McBagonluri further called for action on the National ICT policy to harness a path for government and the private sector to leverage technology and ensure that young people gain access to technology to become ready for the job market.

Hanna Schlingmann, Project Manager at AFOS Foundation has also called for increased education and training with regard to emerging technologies and trends, especially among the youth.

She believes that technology, when leveraged, can help students to become creative in their respective fields of work or educational journey.

Executive Director at the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana, David Gowu, on his part wants Ghana to fully implement a remote working policy.

According to him, young people must be encouraged to take up short-term consulting jobs to boost their experience and earn money in the technology field.

MA/FNOQ