Science is DNA for development: President, cement your legacy through science
Every living organism grows according to its DNA – a master plan coded for function and evolution.
In the same way, science is the DNA of national development.
Yet in Ghana, science lacks not only visibility, but institutional security, budgetary commitment and political reverence.
Mr John Mahama, as you chart your political path forward, I urge you to seize this moment as your opportunity to place science at the core of Ghana’s transformation – and to leave a legacy that endures beyond any single term of office.
Science not in constitution: It shows Despite decades of promises about industrialisation, diversification and modernisation, science is missing from Ghana’s constitutional framework.
Agencies such as the EPA, CSIR and MESTI were created by executive instruments or legislative acts – leaving them vulnerable to dissolution, as we witnessed in 2006 when the then Ministry of Environment and Science was dissolved.
With no constitutional footing, Ghana’s science apparatus floats without direction, structure or protection.
Political will must meet scientific vision
Appointing lawyers or party loyalists to lead science ministries may follow tradition, but it is an error.
Science is a language of its own – one that demands leadership fluent in evidence, innovation and risk management.
Political leadership devoid of scientific understanding weakens our policy outcomes.
Imagine appointing an accountant to head Ghana’s judiciary; it would be absurd — yet we routinely do the equivalent with science.
Contrast that with China: Since Deng Xiaoping’s reforms, scientists and engineers have occupied strategic leadership positions, with over 80 per cent of provincial and ministerial officials holding technical backgrounds.
Even in parliament, scientists and engineers are the majority. China’s sustained growth is rooted not only in ideology but in the intentional elevation of scientific minds into positions of power.
Two-Office strategy: Science for sovereignty
To lead Ghana into a new era, I propose two institutional reforms:
• Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the President
A permanent seat within the Presidency to coordinate national science policy, align ministries and research bodies, and advise directly on innovation strategy. This mirrors best practices in industrial economies and would ensure that science is never sidelined again.
• Office for Science Funding (OFSF)
A transparent agency designed to invest in targeted research – from mining, remediation of polluted soils, to agricultural biotechnology to lithium battery innovation. With calls for proposals, peer review mechanisms, and strategic investments, the OFSF would transform ideas into entrepreneurship, industries and science into livelihoods.
Investing in future: Not giving to charity
The AU and UNESCO recommend devoting at least 2.5 per cent of GDP to science and innovation. Ghana lags behind — and that delay costs us jobs, investments, and technological sovereignty. This is not charity. It is seed capital for the industries of tomorrow.
Consider ethanol fuel. Brazil solved part of its energy crisis by converting sugarcane to ethanol. Ghana could do the same using cassava or other local crops – stabilising the cedi, boosting farmers’ incomes, and curbing fuel imports. But where is the state-backed innovation pipeline?
Your opportunity, Mr President
You have spoken passionately about transforming Ghana’s economy.
But transformation is not powered by rhetoric – it is powered by research, experimentation and innovation.
Without science, the economy is rudderless. With it, the possibilities are endless.
So, I ask: Who is your Chief Scientific Adviser?
How many scientists and engineers sit around our policy table?
Where is a national lab for innovations?
Where is your strategic plan for lithium, manganese, biofuels and agro-tech?
If these questions are addressed boldly, your name could be remembered not only as a leader, but as the architect of a science-led Ghana.
Few legacies carry more power.
Science is the DNA for development. Let Ghana evolve, and let your presidency be the turning point.
The writer is the Head,
Department of Environmental Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science with expertise in Pollution Control Engineering,
Environmental Management and Risk Analysis.
E-mail: m-miyittah@ucc.edu.gh
