LAGOS: It has recently been revealed that Ghana is set to launch the National Science Policy which had received Presidential assent. This was disclosed recently by Dr Mustapha Ahmed, Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology while speaking during the African Forum on STI for Youth Employment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth in Kenya. According to Ahmed, this will be done when the prerequisite formalities are completed. He said the national blueprint would fast-track the development, application and integration of science, technology and innovation (STI) into the national development strategy to boost its growth. Ahmed explained that the aim of the policy is to ensure that STI drive all sectors of the economy with the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Center for Scientific and Industrial Research and other stakeholders provide oversight advice. He said the policy is still in incubation stage, but the government found it prudent to implement portions of it which had manifested in the holding of the first National Science Conference last year in Accra, and other cross-cutting activities. The Minister said under the Better Ghana Information, Communication Technology (ICT) agenda strategy, 60,000 laptops and 5,000 scholarships have been distributed to students. He further revealed that the government has approved the supply of additional 100,000 computers over the next five years. The government would soon launch the research for development innovation fund, establish the Ghana Space Science and Technology Centre and host the African Institute of Mathematics campus, he also stated.
