Professor Boateng Onwana-Agyeman, Provost, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, has called for industrial partnership to upscale its research works for commercial purposes.
He said due to financial constraints, it was difficult for the University’s research findings to be translated into viable business, adding, “We are looking for industrial partners to upscale our research activities into commercialization.”
The Provost made the call in Accra at a community engagement organised by the College in collaboration with the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly to celebrate this year’s Day of the Scientific Renaissance of Africa, which falls on June 30.
The day is celebrated in accordance with the African Union resolution passed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 1987 in remembrance of the continent’s great contribution to the rise and development of modern science and technology.
The event, on the theme: “Touching our Community with Science and Development,” took place at La Bawaleshie Presbyterian Basic School Park to showcase the College’s research activities to the community.
The College undertook health talks, health screenings, anti-rabies vaccinations, the sale of agricultural products, and the display of low-cost technological innovations.
Professor said the College’s School of Agriculture had three centers—the Livestock and Poultry Research Centre, Legon; the Soil and Irrigation Research Centre, Kpong; and the Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre, Kade that conducted research to improve quality products.
“For each of the centres, we do seedlings for tree crops, mango seedlings, research in soil to see what kind of crops can be cultivated, research in irrigation, which is strategically located at Kpong on the lower Volta, and research in animal feed. These are areas we can partner with industry for upscaling,” he said.
The Professor underscored the importance of science in enhancing learners’ curiosity, building on their natural inclination to seek meaning and understanding of the world around them, fostering a lifelong love of science, giving a basic grounding in scientific concepts and scientific thinking, stimulating scientific thinking, and supporting the development of other skills and attributes.
“The product that comes out of research is well understood, we don’t sit somewhere and just bring a product, we do thorough research to understand what we are producing.
“The Nutrition and Food Science Department packages local foods like wheat, “waakye,” among others, for sale, and the idea is to cut down on the importation of these foods,” he said.
A speech read on behalf of Mr Godfred Ashie Dzanie, the Acting Regent, La-Bawaleshie Traditional Council, commended the management of the University for choosing the community as the ideal location for the desired engagement.
“We frequently see agricultural products from the University of Ghana farms being marketed at the legon Police station, Legon Hospital and the Junior Staff,” he said.
He urged other Colleges within the University to organise similar activities for the good of the neighbourhood.
A message on behalf of Ms Sandra Owusu Ahinkorah, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, expressed the Assembly’s readiness to support the University’s activities.
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