Author: GSSTI Admin

Ghana needs a comprehensive science policy that puts science on the top of the agricultural transformation agenda, Prof. Eric Danquah of the University of Ghana has said.

He said, “a food secure and healthy Ghana, ‘a Ghana Beyond Aid,’ can never be attained without huge investments in science, technology, and innovation (STI).” 

Prof. Danquah who is also founding director of the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI) told a science communication workshop in Accra; “if we fail to prioritise investments in STI in the agricultural development space, we shall continue to battle with the challenges of food and nutrition security.”

He questioned why government has not fully set up a fund to support science and technology research in the country.

“How long shall it take our government to operationalize the National Research Fund Act, 2019 which was passed in Parliament and has received Presidential assent?” he quizzed.

Prof. Danquah observed Ghana has some excellent agricultural research institutions including WACCI which he founded about 15 years ago, that deserve more support.

“Today, WACCI is one of the finest institutions in the world for training plant breeders at the PhD level. Our past, present and plans for the future provide compelling evidence that Ghana needs more agricultural Centres of Excellence….We need political will from our leaders and investments in first-class Centres of Excellence,” he added.

Prof. Danquah was speaking at a science communication workshop in Accra organised by Alliance for Science, WACCI, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB).

He was speaking on the theme “communication as a tool for science-based evidence in decision making – a case for GMOs.”

The 4-day workshop themed, Speaking Science Ghana, brought together senior and junior scientists with academic institutions and research organisations across the country for training on best practices in science communication.

He said the use of science for sustainable agriculture has been an important subject to him because scientific knowledge allows us to develop new technologies, solve practical problems, and make informed decisions.

“We are still far from putting innovation in the hands of farmers. We know that even before the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war, Africa was not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 (on zero hunger),” he said.

“I dare say that our efforts today and tomorrow will come to nought if there was no political will for prioritizing the use of STI in our agri-food systems prioritization agenda,” he noted.

Prof. Danquah observed Ghana’s population is currently 32.37 million as of 2022. By 2030, there would be an additional over five million mouths to feed, and by 2063, when Africa is predicted to become the rich continent we desire, our population will be over 61 million.

“This is alarming because crop yields are declining in farmers’ fields as a result of climate change—rains are falling at inconvenient times, floods occur unexpectedly, diseases and pests have become more destructive, and heat worsens issues in farmers’ fields,” he noted.

“Additionally, the soils are deteriorating. Reduced yields will require that we spend more foreign exchange (more than the current over $2.5 billion spent annually) to import additional food for people and animals. This is not efficient and effective, and not sustainable for several reasons.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that self-sufficiency in food production should be a national imperative if we are desirous about ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture in our lifetime.

“There is an urgent need for more food to be produced on less land with fewer chemicals. We must, therefore, use new thinking in our development agenda else we risk worsening the plight of a significant number of Ghanaians who go to bed hungry, who are malnourished and stunted,” he added.

Source: myjoyonline.com

Government will soon pass the Ghana Space Policy to harness space technology for socio-economic development.

The policy will support efforts by the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute to explore the space industry for accelerated national growth.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced this on Friday in Accra at the closing ceremony of the United Nations’ Fifth International Conference on the Use of Space Technology for Water Management.

The three-day conference brought together more than 100 participants from 87 countries worldwide, including scientists, researchers and policy analysts to network and strategise on how to use space technology to enhance development.

It was also to strengthen the use of those technologies to safeguard and monitor water resources and preserve it for future generations.

The conference was jointly organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, in collaboration with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz International Prize for Water and four other ministries.

Vice President Dr. Bawumia said space science and technology application offered lots of opportunities and benefits and, therefore, Ghana could not afford to ignore those potentials for economic growth.

“We have a strategic and economic interest to invest in our space capabilities,” he said.

“Space applications are essential tools for our security, environmental monitoring, communication, disaster prevention and risk reduction.”

Space technology could also help Ghana manage her natural resources, provide early warning for agriculture and food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, job creation, space services, transportation and health services.

Ghana has initiated several programmes and activities in space science, starting with the signing of the African Square Kilometre Array (SKA) partnership bid agreement, led by South Africa, involving nine African countries in 2007.

This agreement led to the establishment of the Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory, commissioned in 2017, as part of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometer Network being implemented by the Department of Science and Technology, South Africa, the Vice President said.

Also, the University of Energy and Natural Resources, by the Earth Observation and Research Innovation Centre, is mapping fires across Africa, identifying water bodies and areas of possible drought, and predicting the weather along the middle belt.

Dr Bawumia said the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration, as part of the use of space technology in Ghana, had increased the number of television channels and available options for the viewer.

That had offered viewers better picture quality, clearer sound, new services, and more interactivity and data services including electronic programme guide, he noted.

The Government, under its digitisation agenda, had rolled out programmes like the Ghana Card, mobile money interoperability, paperless port system, e-folder, e-birth and death register, digital address system, Covid-19 tracker app, e-Travel Card or e-Passport, e-Pharmacy and Ghana.gov to improve service delivery and accountability, the Vice President said.

“We can all attest to the prevailing technologies and services available to us from the development and onward on boarding of space technologies for national development.”

Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, in his welcome remarks, said the Ghana Space Bill was before Cabinet and believed its passage into law would ensure a meaningful utilisation of the space industry.

Source: myjoyonline.com

The Governing Board of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has appointed Prof. Dickson Adomako as the new Deputy Director-General of the Commission.

He takes over from Prof. Shiloh K. D. Osae whose term of office ends on January 31, 2022.

Prior to his appointment, Prof. Adomako was the Director of Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) of GAEC. He is a chief research scientist, lecturer, and consultant.

Prof. Adomako had his GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels at the Ofori Panin Secondary School.

He is an alumnus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and continued with his graduate studies leading to the award of a degree in Master of Science in Geophysics.

In 2010, the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) of the University of Ghana awarded him a PhD in Nuclear Earth Science after successful completion of his 3-year programme.

His research interests are in exploration geophysics, isotope hydrology, geochemistry, environmental pollution and space science.

Prof. Adomako has extensively worked on mineral exploration, application of stable isotopes in groundwater resources assessment and has also facilitated the application of this technique for the sustainability of wetlands that have been exposed to anthropogenic activities and in monitoring pollution studies.

His research works have aided the understanding of hydrochemical dynamics in some selected areas in Ghana.

About Prof. Dickson Adomako

He is keen on generating a lot of geophysical and hydrochemical data to help policymakers alleviate water-borne diseases and water shortages in some communities in the country.

Prof. Adomako has participated in the governance of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission through his service on several statutory and Adhoc Boards and Committees.

He is currently a member of the Executive Committee and General Management Committee of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

Prof Adomako has successfully supervised several MPhil and PhD students and has served as both internal and external examiner/assessor. He has published extensively in his research area.

He has attended and presented research papers at several local and international conferences and has over 55 publications in both local and international peer-reviewed journals to his credit.

Prof. Dickson Adomako is married to Lydia Adomako, and they have three children.

The Board of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has appointed Professor Samuel Boakye Dampare, as the new Director-General of the institution, effective February 1, 2022.

This follows a decision of the Commission’s Board at its 122nd regular meeting held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, which considered and approved the recommendations of the Search Committee.

He takes over from Professor Benjamin Jabez Botwe Nyarko, who has reached the statutory retirement age and whose term of office ends on January 31, 2022.

Professor Dampare, by this appointment, becomes the ninth Executive Head and the fourth Director-General of the foremost scientific research institution in Ghana with a niche in nuclear science and technology.

Until his appointment, he was the Deputy Director of Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) of GAEC.

He also served as the Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) of the University of Ghana–Atomic and the Head of the Neutron Activation Analysis Laboratory at the Ghana Research Reactor–1 (GHARR–1) Centre of GAEC.

He had his basic education at Maase Methodist School, Abuakwa and obtained his GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels at the Ofori Panin Secondary School, Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region.

Professor Dampare is an alumnus of the University of Ghana and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and M.Phil. in Geology in 1996 and 2001, respectively.

Professor Dampare obtained his PhD in Geology in 2008 at the Okayama University in Japan through a Japanese Government Scholarship (Monbukagakusho).

Biography

After obtaining his PhD, Professor Dampare was awarded a two-year postdoctoral fellowship by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) to conduct collaborative research at the same university.

He has been a recipient of several awards and fellowships such as the Dean of the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology Award for Academic Excellence, Okayama University (2006); Bank of Ghana Graduate Fellowship, University of Ghana (1998–1999) and MacCallien Memorial Prize for Best Graduating Student in Geology given by Geological Society of Ghana in 1997.

Professor Dampare’s scientific career at GAEC started in 2002 as an Assistant Research Scientist at the Ghana Research Reactor–1 (GHARR–1) Centre. He was upgraded to the rank of Research Scientist in 2003 and promoted to Senior Research Scientist in 2008, Principal Research Scientist in 2011 and Chief Research Scientist in 2018.

He was conferred with the title of Associate Professor and Professor in Nuclear Earth Sciences in 2012 and 2020, respectively.

As a researcher, he has undertaken works in petrology and geochemistry of igneous and sedimentary rocks, crustal evolution studies of the West African Craton (WAC), Isotope hydrology and hydrogeochemistry, uranium geology, environmental pollution, development of nuclear analytical techniques for measurement of geological/geochemical and environmental samples as well as space technology applications for socio-economic development, among others.

Professor Dampare has also participated in several training courses, workshops, consultative meetings and conferences, where he has presented his research findings and given invited talks.

He has participated in the governance of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission through his service on several statutory and Ad-hoc Boards and Committees. He has also served on external boards and committees including the College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) Board, UG (2018–date); and Council of Ghana Institution of Geoscientists (GhIG), 2019.

Furthermore, he serves as a member of the African Union Commission’s (AUC) AMREC Working Group from 2017–date and the Project Counterpart for Ghana for some IAEA Technical Cooperation projects

He is a fellow of the Ghana Institution of Geoscientists and a member of several professional associations including the Ghana Nuclear Society, Geological Society of Africa, Japan Association of Mineralogical Sciences, American Geophysical Union, the Geochemical Society and Geological Society of America and Ghana Science Association.

Professor Dampare has authored and co-authored over 75 articles in international and national major peer-reviewed journals.

He has served as an examiner and external assessor of several graduate theses and promotional documents for academics as well as co-supervised several PhD, M.Phil./M.Sc. theses and B.Sc. dissertations for students from the University of Ghana, and other public universities in Ghana.

He is married to Angela Dampare, and they have four children (Papa Kwabena, Nana Ago, Maame Boohemaa and Kwabena Amoako). He is a Christian and worships at Mt. Sinai Methodist Church, Atomic, Kwabenya.