The Ghana United Nations Association (GUNA) has called on government to prioritize Science and Technology if it is serious about developing the nation.

According to GUNA, countries that have developed on the back of science have done so by developing internationally accepted scientific solutions to local challenges in all sectors especially, medicine, agriculture, and education.

In a statement on World Science Day for Peace and Development, GUNA said: “any economy that relegates science to the background will continue to wallow in poverty and underdevelopment irrespective of how intelligent its people are, comparatively”.

Below are details of the statement

WORLD SCIENCE DAY FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

Today, the application of science and technology have become the denominator for fast pace development. Countries which have a strong base in science and technology are the ones that develop faster and a few examples are countries like Japan, Brazil, China, India and emerging economies like Bahrain and many more. Any economy that relegates science to the background will continue to wallow in poverty and underdevelopment irrespective of how intelligent its people are, comparatively.

It is therefore incumbent on us as a nation to take science and technology very serious if we ever dream to play along with the high and mighty economies of the world. It is on this note that GUNA wants to add her assertive voice and make some profound input in the way forward so far as science and technology is concerned with the following critical matters;

Science Research Funding

Countries that have developed on the back of science have done so by developing internationally accepted scientific solutions to local challenges in all sectors especially, medicine, agriculture, education, etc. hence, GUNA calls on the government to prioritize funding of science research institutions in Ghana in order to develop scientific solutions to local problems. Without this, development will be a mirage.

InoScience Challenge

GUNA proposes a new and more result oriented program to replace the National Science and Maths quiz program for 2nd cycle institutions that has been in existence for over a decade. The new Innovative Science (InoScience) Challenge will aim at tasking the students to develop solutions to teething national problems such as waste management, flooding, child delinquencies et al. we strongly believe that this new program if adopted and funded by government and corporate organizations will develop and unleash the scientific prowess of our students to be more useful to society and themselves.

Science and Technology Fairs

Any serious developing and developed nation have a technology fair one way or the other which showcase inventions and innovations developed by individuals and corporate bodies, with the aim of mainstreaming these new technologies in their development agenda. Once again, GUNA is calling on government together with corporate bodies to as a matter of urgency, set aside funds, to develop and commercialize the innovations exhibited at these fairs. This will ensure the creation of jobs, and the exportation of such technologies to other countries for foreign exchange.

GUNA hopes that this World Science Day for Peace and development will not be used as a ‘talk shop’ like many others, but these concrete steps will be taken by those in authorities in order to bring about development and prosperity to mother Ghana.