President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized the need to use Science and Technology as a tool to accelerate Ghana’s transition from lower Middle income level to a Middle income level.
He said as a country that is agriculturally oriented and basically rain-fed, the development of Science and Technology is necessary to help propel food production levels for both domestic consumption and for export to neighbouring countries.
President Mahama said this when Dr Imtinan Elahi Qureshi, Executive Director of Commission on Science and Technology for sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), led a delegation to call on him at the Flagstaff House, Kanda.
The Executive Director is in the country at the request of President Mahama, who is Chairman of ECOWAS to brief him on the performance of COMSAT and outline the programmes for the year.
COMSATS, which brings together a comity of Science and Technology, was started in 1994 and headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Apart from its participation in the bilateral technical cooperation projects with internationally renowned Science and Technology Centres of Excellence, it also participates in technology transfer programmes, as well as collaborative research programmes, in partnership with development agencies.
In capacity building, COMSAT offers scholarships and training facilities at the international centre for Climate and Environment Sciences in China and offer post- graduate studies in various disciplines at international levels.
President Mahama said there is direct correlation between science, technology and development, and that his administration intends making maximum use to achieve all targeted development goals of the country.
He expressed satisfaction that the Centre for Scientific Research and Industrial Research is part of the proceedings, which would help in government’s development agenda.
Dr Quereshi commended the government for inviting him to come and share ideas with Ghanaians and gave the assurance that all the necessary collaborations would be done.
He said COMSATS has a university with a total of 25,000 students across the globe and international internet facilities and would develop other areas for member states.
The group was led by Dr Oteng Agyei, a former Minister of Energy.