Ghana’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy will be fully implemented this year to enhance the culture of science and technology in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) has announced.
It would ensure the participation of young people, especially girls, in science and technology to ultimately foster economic development and social progress.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Director, STI at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI),Mr Cephas Adjei Mensah, at a UNESCO Global Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Instruments (GO-SPIN) workshop in Accra.
According to Mr Mensah, the policy which was launched in 2010, reviewed by MESTI in 2017 and received approval in 2019 was gradually being implemented across several sectors and was certain it would be in full force this year.
The policy, he said, would provide guidelines in areas including research, funding and investments towards the implementation of STI in the country.
“We have had several stakeholder engagements including the media as well as education campaigns across the country to enhance the interest of STI as we move towards the full implementation which would see the entire country involved,” he stated.
“We must work towards having a science and technology culture in Ghana which is fast becoming the backbone of every economy,” he said.
He called on stakeholders, especially in education, to assist in intensifying advocacy to promote science culture among the populace.
He commended UNESCO for assisting with guidance in developing or revising their national STI policies with reference from other developed countries through the GO-SPIN initiative.
The Resource Person for the GO-SPIN training, Guillermo A. Lemarchand advised the government to invest more into Research and Development (R&D) because the importance of funding in research cannot be underestimated.
Aside, he said, there must be a conscious effort to effectively implement policies with proper guidelines.
“Policies without implementation strategies and guidelines in place is just a piece of literature. So Ghana’s government must ensure that the implementation guidelines are properly spelt out with timelines,” he stressed.
He called for a step-by-step process towards the future implementation of STI across the country.
He urged stakeholders including the private sector to get involved while government ensured that people understood the issues surrounding R&D and STI in order to come on board to ensure its implementation.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
