Ghana: Ghana's development challenge is not a shortage of talent but the absence of strong, enduring systems capable of turning talent and research into national prosperity, Spokesperson for Employment for NPP's Policy Committee, Kofi Tonto, has said. Speaking at the 14th Annual Scientific Conference of UG-MELSSA at the University of Ghana's WAGMC on August 7, 2026, Tonto argued that Ghana must build institutions and national systems capable of surviving changes in government.
According to Ghana Web, Tonto delivered a keynote address titled 'Beyond Politics: Building National Systems That Outlive Governments,' where he emphasized that political transitions should not interrupt scientific research, healthcare development, or national innovation. He highlighted that Ghana's greatest challenge has never been a shortage of talent, noting the presence of highly skilled professionals, researchers, and innovators in the country. However, many struggle due to weak systems needed to identify, finance, develop, and commercialize their ideas.
Tonto stated that sustainable national development requires more than exceptional individuals, calling for systems that can continuously identify talent, nurture researchers, provide funding, connect universities with industry, and turn scientific discoveries into products and services that benefit the economy. He warned that Ghana risks losing talented professionals when institutions are unable to support their ambitions, arguing that politics should not determine the survival of scientific progress.
He pointed to countries like South Korea and Israel as examples of nations that have made long-term investments in research, innovation, and university-industry partnerships across successive political administrations. Tonto argued that scientific excellence is deliberate, and countries become innovation leaders by creating systems that repeatedly produce and commercialize knowledge.
Tonto cited Ghana's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of the country's potential in building internationally competitive scientific systems. He highlighted the work of scientists at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at the University of Ghana. Ghanaian scientists successfully sequenced the genome of the virus locally during the pandemic, contributing to efforts to monitor the spread of the virus and supporting neighboring countries like Togo, Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Turning specifically to the conference theme and kidney disease, Tonto said Ghana must focus on building a national innovation ecosystem capable of producing new solutions. He cited University of Ghana professor Vincent Boima's assessment that more than five million Ghanaians may be living with chronic kidney disease, arguing that the scale of the challenge demands a national response.
Tonto proposed stronger investment in kidney research centers, diagnostic technology, screening tools, genomic research, and partnerships between universities and private companies. He envisioned a Ghana where international researchers seek partnerships with local institutions, patients travel to Accra for specialized medical care, and Ghanaian laboratories develop diagnostic technologies adopted across Africa.
He criticized the tendency for governments to discontinue or neglect programs started by their predecessors, arguing that this practice wastes investment, destroys institutional memory, and undermines public confidence. Tonto concluded by challenging researchers and healthcare professionals at the conference to imagine a Ghana that becomes a global center for medical research and innovation, creating diagnostic technologies for African populations and exporting scientific innovations beyond its borders.