Ghana urged to strengthen domestic funding for scientific research
Professor Abigail Opoku Mensah, Acting Administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF), has called for increased domestic investment in scientific research and innovation to reduce reliance on foreign grants and accelerate technological development. The post Ghana urged to strengthen domestic funding for scientific research appeared first on Ghana Business News .
Ghana's Acting Administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF), Professor Abigail Opoku Mensah, has emphasized the need for increased domestic investment in scientific research and innovation. She made the call at the opening of the Ghana residential program of the UK Media Excellence for Emerging Technologies (UK MEET) Fellowship in Accra. The Fellowship aims to strengthen the role of journalism in accurately reporting, critically examining, and explaining emerging technologies.
Professor Opoku Mensah highlighted that Ghanaian universities and public research institutions have contributed to innovation and human capital development. However, the country continues to rely heavily on technological spillovers from research and innovations developed abroad. Ghana's research funding has historically been fragmented, with a significant portion of support coming from development partners, creating vulnerabilities when donors change priorities.
The Acting Administrator stressed that domestic investments were crucial for accelerating a country's innovation, emphasizing that at least one percent of a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should be invested in research and development, a commitment made by African Union member states. Despite this commitment, Ghana has lagged behind in achieving the target.
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