According to Mr Kwamena Quaison, the Director of Science, Technology and Innovations at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations (MESTI), investing sufficiently in scientific research and development is crucial to unlocking the potential of nuclear technology. He believes such action could create new industries and job opportunities, guarantee food security, provide health solutions for the labour force, and ensure a cleaner and more sustainable future for all.
Mr Quaison made these remarks during the Scientific Innovations Dialogue in Accra, which commemorated the Day of Africa’s Scientific Renaissance celebration. The event, under the auspices of MESTI, had the theme “Harnessing the power of the atom for economic transformation through science and technology.”
The Director said that nuclear technology could create new industries and jobs if the country builds capacity, starting from the basic level of education. According to him, even though the atom is the smallest building block for any substance, it possesses the power for economic transformation. Over the years, it has been a source of energy for the industrial revolution of many countries, and with further advancements in this technology, it has become even more valuable.
Mr Quaison emphasised that resilient economies depend on reliable and affordable energy, hence the need to critically examine energy production and consumption activities. He noted the need to look at power generation sources, distribution, and use critically because the nexus between energy and development had been established and could not be over-emphasized.
Mr Quaison said that Ghana’s electricity generation had changed from 84% hydro and 14% thermal to 38% hydro and 60% thermal. He indicated this caused high tariffs due to gas price volatility and erratic gas supply. 40% of production costs for industries in Ghana attribute to electricity costs, making it challenging for Ghanaian industries to stay competitive. He said that with almost no hydro potential left to exploit, Nuclear and Coal, as baseload options, were very attractive to help reduce tariffs and help the country undergo industrialisation. Mr Quaison added that Ghana had requested information and received feedback for six large reactors and nine small modular reactors (SMRs).
Dr Samuel Boakye Dampare, the Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), said that Ghana continued to offer research-driven solutions to societal issues in agriculture, health, environmental sustainability, energy, water resource management, and geological mineral resources management. He said that GAEC’s research, through its Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) and other collaborators, had worked to improve crop yields and produced new varieties for cassava, tomatoes, and others that were drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and had better nutritional quality.
Dr Dampare said that innovations and breakthroughs were attainable because of teamwork and collaboration among scientists and research institutions. He cited the work between the Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute (RAMSRI) of the GAEC and the National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in cancer treatment as a typical example of this spirit of collaboration.
Dr Dampare expected that collaborations between the scientific communities of Ghana would deepen and strengthen to enhance knowledge sharing and the churning out of innovations and technologies for the benefit of Ghanaians. The Director-General said that the Government, private sector industries, and other stakeholders must commit to spending a lot more on Science, Technology, and Innovations to realise their vision of economic transformation soon. He suggested that African governments raise their national gross expenditure on research and development to at least one per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to increase innovation, productivity, and economic growth.