The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghanaian Academic and Research Network (GARNET), Mr. Lucas Yikimpa Chigabatia, has urged ICT professionals to prioritise building technical capabilities, saying that digital infrastructure and cutting-edge technology are of little value without the skills to manage them effectively.
Addressing participants at the close of a four-day network monitoring and management workshop hosted by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr. Chigabatia encouraged them to apply the knowledge gained to strengthen digital infrastructure and network management in their respective institutions.
"The most important thing is capability. You can have the infrastructure and the latest technology, but if you do not have the skills to use and manage them, they are of little value," he said.
He urged participants to share the knowledge acquired with colleagues on returning to their institutions to help build stronger research and education networks across the region. Mr. Chigabatia also commended KNUST for its advanced ICT infrastructure, describing the University's digital ecosystem as an ideal environment for practical training.
The Director of the University's Information Technology Services (UITS), Mr. Emmanuel Nii Okaidza Afful, thanked participants for their active engagement throughout the workshop and reaffirmed KNUST's commitment to promoting collaboration and capacity building among research and education institutions.
He encouraged participants to sustain the professional networks established during the programme and continue applying the skills acquired to support digital transformation within their organisations.
Participants from Ghana and across West Africa praised the workshop for its practical approach and hands-on sessions, particularly on the use of Prometheus and Grafana for network monitoring and performance visualisation.
Marian Manu Boafo of the Cyber Security Division at KNUST said the workshop deepened her understanding of how the two platforms work together to monitor and visualise systems and network infrastructure. She said she intends to deploy and configure the tools within the University's network environment to enhance campus network monitoring and improve operational efficiency.
Representing the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), Oluwatobi Fowora described the workshop as an enriching experience that exceeded his expectations. He said the training broadened his understanding of infrastructure monitoring and performance visualisation and expressed confidence that the knowledge gained would be applied to strengthen network management at NgREN. He also commended GARNET, KNUST and the facilitators for organising a practical and impactful programme.
Lawrencia Odjeawo of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, said the hands-on sessions introduced participants to new technologies and expanded her understanding of network management. She said the training demonstrated how digital tools could be used not only to monitor data centre networks but also environmental conditions such as temperature, storage systems, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units and memory resources, helping institutions maintain safer and more efficient ICT environments.
Story: Belinda Opoku Danso Photos: Isaac Kwaku Duah
