Ghana’s long-standing problem of translating research into tangible financial value might lastly be inside attain, as stakeholders on the shut of the UNESCO-FCDO Sankore Project known as for pressing motion to commercialise research outputs throughout the nation.
At the closing occasion of the Sankore Project in Accra, policymakers, improvement companions and research establishments burdened that with out deliberate efforts to transfer research past tutorial publications, innovation will proceed to have restricted influence on nationwide improvement.
Funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Sankore Project was applied in Ghana and Nigeria to strengthen science, know-how and innovation (STI) programs and promote digital inclusion throughout West Africa. The mission has already performed a central function within the operationalisation of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF), following its announcement by authorities in 2025, significantly in creating its strategic plan, authorized framework and grant administration structure.
Speaking on the occasion, the National Professional Officer for Natural Sciences at UNESCO Accra, Ms. Melody Boateng, famous that the mission was designed to strengthen STI programs whereas supporting pathways for commercialisation. “A lot of research gets done in Ghana… but a lot of them, which are viable, end up on the shelves. We don’t see a true prototypes or tangible outcomes,” she added.
As a part of the intervention, the mission labored with worldwide companions such because the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) to assist research establishments such because the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to bear commercialisation audits and has since developed a commercialisation framework to higher join research outputs to market wants.
Prof. Abigail Opoku Mensah, the Acting Administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund, famous that though the Sankore Project has contributed considerably to the progress of the Fund since its institution, its effectiveness will rely largely on the passage of a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to make the Fund absolutely purposeful. Beyond laws, she recognized the institution of a reputable and clear grant administration system as a crucial success output of the mission, including that constructing “a very transparent, very robust and credible” system is important to gaining stakeholder confidence.
On the call for an L.I., Ms. Melody Boateng assured that the mission has already supported the event of a authorized instrument to make the Fund absolutely purposeful, alongside a five-year strategic plan and useful resource mobilisation technique. She added that the Fund should additionally “operate in a very transparent manner with strong governance framework mechanisms.”
From a regional perspective, the Technology and Innovation Adviser on the FCDO’s West Africa Research and Innovation Hub (WARIH), Ms. Chisom Udemezue, emphasised that research commercialisation is straight tied to financial transformation. She burdened that nations should take possession of their research agendas by investing domestically. “We need funding for science and technology… and one of our approaches is to help mobilise domestic funding from public and private institutions,” she famous.
In an interview, the Director of Science and Technology Promotion at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST), Dr. Olayiwola Agoro, described the Sankore Project as “a very laudable project” and “an eye opener,” significantly in shaping efforts to operationalise research funding programs, together with the activation of Nigeria’s National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF).
UNESCO’s Representative to Ghana, Mr. Edmond Moukala, in remarks learn on his behalf by the National Professional Officer for Education, Mr. Prosper Nyavor, emphasised that the mission’s closure marks “a moment of transition,” urging establishments to strengthen possession and proceed investing in science, know-how, and innovation as drivers of sustainable improvement.
He assured UNESCO’s Member States and companions of the organisation’s dedication to assist inclusive, well-governed, and sustainable STI programs in Ghana, Nigeria, and throughout West Africa.
“With the foundations laid, the spotlight now turns to government, industry, and research institutions to accelerate reforms, deepen collaboration, and ensure that innovation translates into inclusive economic growth,” he added.
Brief about UNESCO’s Sankore Project
The Sankore Project, “Strengthening Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Systems and Digital Inclusion in West Africa,” has been applied over the previous one 12 months with the target of driving transformative change in Ghana and Nigeria by strengthening STI ecosystems, advancing the commercialisation of research, and offering expert-driven STI options throughout Ghana, Nigeria, and the West African sub-region.
The mission has generated important outcomes, together with the operationalisation of the Ghana National Research Fund and the activation of Nigeria’s National Research and Innovation Fund, strengthening the commercialisation potential of public research establishments, and facilitating partnerships and information change amongst nationwide and worldwide STI establishments.
The mission was funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The implementing companions are the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology (Ghana), the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (Nigeria), the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (Nigeria).
Participating establishments embody the Ghana National Research Fund, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Ghana), the National Space Research and Development Agency (Nigeria), and the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (Nigeria).