Role of higher education and science, technology and innovation in capacity development in Ghana

Ghana has shown keen interest in promoting Science, Technology and Innovation(STI), and Higher Education (HE). However, the STI and HE systems do not seemto be adequately focused on Ghana’s socio-economic needs. Furthermore, existingSTI and HE policies and programmes do not appear to be motivating enough todrive investments and technological upgrading. Consequently, many of the country’simportant STI institutions are unable to effectively carry out their mandates. The studywas undertaken to examine the role of STI and HE policies in capacity developmentin Ghana. The desk study showed that there has been a lot of investment in settingup STI and HE institutions which have yielded some positive outcomes especiallyin the country’s recent research output. Progress on Ghana’s capacity for STI looksencouraging, given that Ghana’s overall Africa Capacity Index is Medium primarilybecause of a narrow financing base. The country also currently has a comprehensiveSTI policy draft to work with up to 2024. However, there is the need for Ghana toput in place workable monitoring and evaluation strategies on STI and HE policiesand programmes. This will enhance the impact of STI and HE on the economy of thecountry.