Nobel International graduates first cohort in CIP
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, has entreated graduates of Nobel International Business School (NIBS) to make practical use of innovation since it is a necessary tool to drive transformative change in society.
He said it was important for them to work with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to make a meaningful impact.
Dr Afriyie, who made the call in his keynote address at the graduation of NIBS’s first cohort in the Certified Innovation Professional (CIP) programme in Accra last Wednesday, said in doing that the graduates should consistently innovate with purpose and a deep sense of social responsibility.
“Innovation is responsible for considering your innovations' ethical and societal implications.
“So, as you create and implement new ideas, always keep in mind the broader impact on communities, the environment and the well-being of individuals”, he added.
The ceremony saw 16 professionals being awarded certificates in the CIP programme.
They consisted of two females and 14 males who had undergone varied modules in the space of six months to build their capacity-generating skills and accelerate profitable growth through innovation.
The professionals in the best practices are expected to generate and implement new ideas, advancing collaboration on critical projects and capturing the value of innovation in their various fields of work.
Fast track development
The Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, expressed excitement at the passing out of the new graduates as he explained that it was to create an innovative platform to solve the challenges in society.
He explained that in a world that had moved beyond product and process innovation to a world where real innovation tended to drive the prosperity that we sought, about 20 per cent of well-established organisations and emerging markets within the continent lacked innovative innovation practitioners in their businesses.
“Hence, until we are able to overturn the complex challenges that we have in all sectors of the country with innovation, we will not be able to catch up with the kind of pace at which the developed countries are running.
“Innovation is the only way we can fast track our development and put ourselves on a pedestal to competently compete with any country so we are not left behind,” he explained.
Commendation
The Founder of NIBS, Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, commended the graduates for their strides in engaging their innovative skills to make their lives and environment better through innovation.
He stated that NIBS nurtured executives through its high-quality research approaches to become more skilled and confident executives ready to face the challenges of their organisations.
The institution also inaugurated a Certified Innovation Professionals Association (CIPA) headed by five executives who will steer the affairs of the association going forward.