President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Ghana National Research Fund, describing it as a major step towards addressing the country’s long-standing research financing challenges and accelerating industrialisation through science, technology and innovation.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, June 16, President Mahama said the Fund forms part of the government’s broader resetting agenda and its vision of building a knowledge-driven economy.
He explained that the Fund would provide sustainable and predictable financing for research, enabling Ghanaian researchers to develop innovative solutions to national development challenges.
“Today, Ghana affirms that research can no longer be treated as a peripheral activity. It must become one of the engines that drive our economic growth, our social progress, and our national competitiveness,” the President said.
President Mahama traced the origins of the initiative to the vision of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whom he credited with recognising that science, technology and research were essential to achieving economic independence and industrial transformation.
According to him, Nkrumah understood that true industrialisation required Ghana to develop its own technologies rather than depend solely on the export of raw materials.
The President also paid tribute to the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, noting that he consistently championed science, technology, innovation and research as key pillars of national development.
President Mahama further acknowledged the role of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the establishment of the Fund, noting that the legal framework was created through Act 1056 of 2020, which received presidential assent during the previous administration.
He said what had been missing over the years was a sustainable funding mechanism to support research and innovation.
The President observed that many of the world’s major breakthroughs in medicine, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, renewable energy, telecommunications and manufacturing have been driven by sustained investment in research.
He cautioned that Ghana could not achieve meaningful industrial transformation while under-investing in knowledge creation, despite the country’s researchers consistently producing globally competitive work under limited financial resources.
According to President Mahama, the Ghana National Research Fund will help address these structural challenges by supporting research aligned with national priorities, including the 24-Hour Economy policy and the Accelerated Export Development Programme.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen Ghana’s research ecosystem, promote innovation, and position the country to compete more effectively in the global knowledge economy.
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