Ghana Must Leverage Science and Technology to Compete Globally — Historian

By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh

Historian Kweku Darko Ankrah has urged Ghana to strengthen its investment in science and technology in order to remain competitive in the global economy.
Speaking on the Business Breakfast on Zed FM with Nii Trebi Hammond, Mr. Ankrah said that while Ghana has successfully exported several elements of its culture to the international stage, the country has not made similar progress in the area of technological innovation.
He explained that discussions about globalisation should also consider the concept of “glocalisation,” which describes how local products and cultural elements move beyond national borders to gain global recognition.
According to him, several Ghanaian cultural products have successfully made this transition.
“Our fugu has moved from the local to the global. Our kente has also moved from the local to the international stage. Our music and food have equally travelled from the local level to the global market,” he said.
Mr. Ankrah noted that these cultural exports demonstrate Ghana’s ability to influence global culture. However, he emphasised that the country has not yet achieved a strong competitive advantage in science and technology.
He stressed that technological innovation now drives global development and economic competitiveness.
“In today’s world, everything is centred on science and technology, especially information technology. That is what is shaping the global economy,” he said.
Mr. Ankrah expressed concern that Ghana has not sufficiently leveraged its indigenous production systems to build technological capabilities.
He stressed that instead of developing and exporting technology, the country has largely become dependent on imported technological products.
“As it stands, we are more consumers of technology rather than producers for the global market,” he noted.
Mr. Ankrah therefore called for deliberate efforts to integrate science, technology and innovation into Ghana’s development strategy to enable the country to compete more effectively in the modern global economy.