Ghana can achieve faster, more sustainable growth and development to move to a middle-income country by promoting Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) development through effective policies and initiatives.
I Mensah Maxwell pen that, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) development plays a crucial role in Ghana’s progress towards sustainable development.
Innovation and resilience play a crucial role in policy-making in Ghana. The government of Ghana has ambitious plans for the country, aiming to graduate from low to middle-income status in the next decade. Ghana is classified as a lower-middle-income country based on its GNI per capita even though reports indicate that the country’s economy has grown steadily in recent years, driven by strong performance in key sectors (like STEM) and increased exports.
In definitions, Innovation refers to the ability to come up with new ideas and technologies, products, or processes that can improve efficiency, effectiveness, or overall performance. Resilience, on the other hand, refers to the ability to bounce back from adversity and continue to move forward despite challenges or setbacks.
Innovation and resilience should be important for the government as a whole. If innovative government is able to generate new ideas and technologies that can improve the lives of the citizens, and resilient government is able to withstand natural disasters, economic shocks, or other disruptions like the COVID-19 Global Pandemic without experiencing long-term negative effects, why then Ghana is not classified as “Middle-income” state?
What does it mean to be called a low-middle-income and Middle-income?
Ghana is classified as a lower-middle-income country by the World Bank. This classification is based on the country’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, which is calculated using the Atlas method. According to the World Bank’s income classification for the 2022 fiscal year, countries with a GNI per capita of $1,036 to $4,045 are considered lower-middle-income countries.
In 2011, Ghana’s GNI per capita reached $1,130, which allowed the country to graduate from low-income to lower-middle-income status. Since then, Ghana’s economy has continued to grow, with its GNI per capita reaching $2,130 in 2019. This growth has been driven by a number of factors, including strong performance in the services sector and increased exports of oil, gold, and cocoa.
The Genesis and Status of Ghana’s Science, Technology and Innovation
Economic growth will have to accelerate and productivity will need to rise to achieve this goal. This will necessarily involve a more effective application of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in the economy in order to drive productivity growth and diversification in production.
Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) development plays a crucial role in Ghana’s progress towards sustainable development. On 22 September 2021, experts in the STI sector convened to discuss Ghana’s STI capacity and needs assessment. The meeting was organized as part of the UNESCO Sida-funded project “Strengthening STI Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa” by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI).
The experts were informed that CSIR-STEPRI, Ghana’s implementing agency in the Sida-funded project, had submitted a report on Ghana’s STI ecosystem. However, a review of Ghana’s STI policies revealed that they were skewed toward achieving national economic growth, with little emphasis on how STIs could also be used to address societal challenges. The experts were advised to assist the project in critically interrogating these gaps in order to ensure that science meaningfully interacts with society, and vice versa – one of the RS/SR’s key areas.
However, to date, the role played by STI in Ghana’s development has been limited. The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) Review of Ghana was prepared at the request of the Government of Ghana to offer an objective and critical look at the country’s STI capacities and assess how these capacities are being translated into innovations that help meet the country’s socioeconomic development objectives. The Review sets out specific recommendations for practical actions and policy reforms to build STI capacity and create a more dynamic economy that will move more quickly towards middle-income levels.
In conclusion,
Innovation and Resilience are crucial for the success and growth of a country’s economy, society, and government. Prioritizing innovation, research and development, and resilience can bring several benefits such as:
- Economic growth: Innovation can lead to the development of new industries and technologies, creating new job opportunities and boosting economic growth.
- Improved quality of life: Innovation in healthcare, education, and transportation can lead to a better quality of life for citizens, enhancing social welfare.
- National defence and security: Resilience in critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and disaster management can help a country to protect its people, its economy, and its sovereignty.
- Enhanced competitiveness: Innovation and resilience can enhance a country’s competitiveness in a global market, driving up productivity and efficiency.
Therefore, governments should prioritize innovation and resilience as fundamental policies to achieve sustainable economic growth, social welfare, and national security.
Source: Maxwell Thompson
