Science reporting key to Ghana’s development — GNRF

JOURNALISTS have been urged to communicate scientific research, technology and innovation in simple language to help the public understand their benefits and contribute to Ghana’s socio-economic development.

The Administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF), Professor Abigail Opoku, made the call at the opening of the UK Media Excellence for Emerging Technologies (UK MEET) Fellowship in Accra.

The fellowship, delivered by Imperial College London through Imperial Global Ghana, with support from the British High Commission, has selected 30 journalists and content creators for training in artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, health technology and other emerging fields.

Prof. Opoku said effective science communication was essential to translating research findings and technological innovations into practical solutions for national development.

She said journalists had a crucial role in bridging the gap between researchers and the public by making complex scientific information accessible to ordinary Ghanaians.

Prof. Opoku noted that Ghana’s research and innovation sector faced funding challenges, with significant support coming from foreign development partners, leaving it vulnerable to changes in donor priorities.

She said African Union member states had committed to investing at least one per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) in research and development, but Ghana remained below the target.

She explained that the Ghana National Research Fund, established under the Ghana National Research Fund Act, 2020 (Act 1056), was intended to help address the funding gap.

The government provided an initial GH¢15 million, while President John Dramani Mahama announced GH¢100 million to operationalise the fund in June 2025.

Prof. Opoku added that the fund had developed a five-year research and innovation strategy covering 2026 to 2030, with a focus on food systems, health, climate sustainability, digital transformation and governance.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Director of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Kwamena Quaison, said scientific progress alone could not drive national development without public understanding of its benefits, risks and implications.

He said the UK-Ghana Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy, signed in 2023, recognised science communication as essential to bridging the gap between research and society.

Mr Quaison said journalists had a responsibility to make research accessible, address public concerns about emerging technologies and build trust through transparency, dialogue and credible reporting.

The Head of Communications at the British High Commission, Mr Ryan Wilson, said the fellowship, now in its fourth year, had trained about 70 journalists over the previous three years.

He said some alumni had produced reports on science, technology, innovation, health and climate issues, while others had built lasting relationships with researchers, experts and fellow journalists.

Mr Wilson said the programme had become increasingly important as artificial intelligence transformed content production and misinformation and disinformation became more sophisticated.

BY AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN

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