The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Akyamfoɔ Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, has urged young scientists to see their work not only as a career but also as a patriotic duty critical to Ghana’s development.
Addressing the 21st Ghana Chemical Society Conference, hosted by KNUST, he stressed that chemistry holds the key to some of the continent’s greatest challenges.
“In Ghana and across Africa, chemistry must continue to drive affordable drug synthesis, water purification technologies, and disease-fighting materials,” he said.
He called for stronger investment in local pharmaceutical chemistry and traditional medicine research so that “the next vaccine or cure is co-developed right here at home.”
He further emphasized that sustainable chemistry is not merely an environmental imperative but also a powerful economic advantage.
“Imagine a thriving Ghanaian industry that manufactures biodegradable packaging from cassava starch, produces high-performance bio-fertilizers from cocoa waste, and leads West Africa in advanced water purification technologies. This is not a dream; it is a business plan waiting to be executed,” he noted, urging government to move “from framework to function” by implementing policies that create an enabling environment for green innovation.
Akyamfoɔ Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, highlighted the legacy of Dr. Thomas Mensah, the Ghanaian chemical engineer whose fiber optic breakthroughs helped shape the modern internet.
“To the young students and young scientists in this room, the vanguard of our future: your work is more than a career. It is a patriotic duty,” he said. “Dr. Mensah’s story is irrefutable proof that world-changing innovation is born in brilliant minds, nurtured right here in Ghana. I challenge you to be the next Thomas Mensah but for sustainability.”
The Chairman charged universities to align research with Ghana’s development priorities. “Let our final-year projects and our doctoral theses tackle the hard chemistry of galamsey remediation,” he added.
The 3-day conference, themed “Chemistry for a Sustainable Future: Innovations for Environment, Agriculture, Clean Energy, and Public Health,” brought together academics, policymakers, and industry leaders to share knowledge and strengthen professional networks.
Professor Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi, Provost of the College of Science at KNUST, underscored the importance of sustaining the conference and applying chemistry in solving pressing national challenges.
“We look forward to it continuing so that it will be very vibrant. As a Chemical Society, we are charging you to really use the chemistry for sustainable future to ensure that things are done for issues on environment, agriculture, clean energy, and public health,” he said.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor David Asamoah highlighted that addressing today’s complex global challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration.
“Climate change, antimicrobial resistance, food insecurity, and environmental degradation cannot be solved by one discipline alone. They require chemists working alongside pharmacologists, engineers, economists, policymakers, and communities,” he said, adding that KNUST remains committed to preparing students for both global excellence and local impact.
A panel discussion featuring Professor Godfred Darko, Dr. Anita Oppong, and Professor James Ephraim examined how science and national policy can work together to shape Ghana’s sustainable future.
Story by: Amanda Boamah Twum-Ampomah
