The Acting Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, has stressed that research must be directly linked to policymaking if Ghana is to achieve equitable and sustainable national development.
She said widening the gap between research and public policy limits progress, while strong collaboration between researchers and decision-makers can translate evidence into lasting transformation.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 KNUST Research Week and Scientific Conference on the theme “Bridging Research and Policy for Transformative Impact,” Dr. Amoah said evidence must consistently inform national planning, programme implementation, and social interventions.
She referenced Ghana’s Navrongo Experiment in the 1990s, which pioneered community-based primary healthcare delivery and led to the nationwide Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme.
The initiative helped reduce maternal and child mortality and was later adopted by other African countries.
She also noted that research-driven reforms in the Capitation Grant Scheme strengthened access to basic education. Following an NDPC-led evaluation in 2014, government increased per-pupil funding and improved accountability systems between 2015 and 2018, contributing to more stable school enrolment.
“These reforms show that when research speaks and policymakers listen, real transformation follows,” she said.
Director of the Office of Grants and Research, Professor Jerry John Kponyo, said the Research Week reinforces KNUST’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary research that responds to national needs.
He revealed the University is developing a 10-year Research Strategy and Implementation Plan to support the transition from research excellence to research eminence.
“Publishing in high-impact journals is important, but the greater value lies in the change we bring to society,” he added.
Representing the Organizing Committee, Professor Robert Clement Abaidoo acknowledged research mentors, funding agencies, and industry partners for supporting impactful research. He said the 2025 conference features more than 300 abstracts and exhibitions across engineering, health sciences, agriculture, business, and the creative arts.
“Research is most meaningful when it addresses the real needs of society,” he said.
