Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has expressed worry over the lack of investment in human capital.
He said successive governments have prioritized investments in projects and left the human capital which is needed to drive economic growth.
“We have to invest in human beings so that those human beings will be able to build the factories we need in the [next] 5-10 years’ time,” he told Dr. Randy Abbey.
Frimpong-Boateng was analyzing the importance of Environment, Science, and Technology to successive governments on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV on Thursday, June 8, 2023.
The renowned physician and cardiothoracic surgeon said Ghana does not take science and technology seriously and there must be a deliberate decision to place a premium on them.
He holds the assertion that prioritizing investment in projects over human capital will hinder Ghana’s bid to end overreliance on foreign technology, expertise, and capital.
“I am not saying we should not do projects. But all our efforts should not be in projects because if you do the projects, it makes you more and more dependent on foreign technology, expertise, and capital,” he said.
“We borrow money to go and build roads. We can build a factory in every village but that will not give Ghana the capacity to build its own factories in [the] future,” he asserted.
Professor. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng further called for educational reforms to empower universities to champion the digitalization agenda.
“University is not there to teach students to get degrees but conduct research to solve the problems that the nation is facing. We need to resource the universities properly and give them the proper orientation
“If you talk about digitalization without the universities how can you do that? You have to throw the problem at them, give them the resources, and say ‘Look, we want to move our analog system in our country so this is it. Give us the plan and product’. This is what I’m saying we are not taking this thing seriously
