afrol News, 12 September - Ghana's Education Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo today lamented that the loss of African scientists to greener pastures in the industrialised world has increased during the last years. He added that 80 percent of scientific research was concentrated in a few developed countries while Africa as a whole accounted for only 0.36 percent of scientists in the world.

Minister Osafo-Maafo said this in a speech in the Ghanaian city of Tamale, closing a one-week science and education conference. The Minister said he had noted a "shortfall in human resource and scientific progress" in Africa as a whole.

Mr Osafo-Maafo in his speech said "ignorance and poverty" had subordinated Africa and placed the continent in an inferior position due to the lack of scientific and technological knowledge and application, the government of Ghana reported today.

While it was "the divine duty of every nation to ensure that its citizenry are lifted from the shackles of ignorance," the Ghanaian Minister emphasised that the task was not easy. After receiving education at home, Africa's best scientists were leaving for greener pastures, he lamented.

Nevertheless, he aimed at increasing access to higher education in Ghana. "We need to encourage both the young and old to realize in no uncertain terms that the only way to level up with the developed world is through a definite desire to process scientific knowledge and skills and apply them to better our lot as a people," Mr Osafo-Maafo said.

The Minister noted that the benefits of science and technology for the Ghanaian were enormous, adding that countries that had placed science and technology high on the development agenda were the rich countries of the world today.

Mr Osafo-Maafo called for the setting up of science and technology education committees in the regions and districts to offer appropriate support and guidance as well as mobilise and re-direct resources to enhance science and technological education in the country, the Accra government reports.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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