Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on the National Research Fund (NRF) to ensure that research undertaken in Ghana delivers practical solutions to national challenges and produces measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
The Vice President made the call after meeting the Governing Board and Management of the National Research Fund, led by Board Chairman Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, to receive an update on the Fund’s progress and discuss its contribution to Ghana’s national development agenda through research and innovation.
According to Professor Opoku-Agyemang, the true value of the Fund will not be judged by the number of projects it supports but by their impact on national development.
“I emphasized that the success of the National Research Fund will ultimately be measured by the real impact those projects have on the lives of Ghanaians,” she stated.
She stressed that research should provide practical solutions to the country’s development challenges, stimulate intellectual inquiry, create jobs, strengthen agriculture and industry, improve public services, and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s economic transformation.
The Vice President also urged the Fund to prioritise public education and engagement to build confidence in its work, while focusing on achievable, high-impact interventions that demonstrate value without creating unnecessary administrative costs.
She encouraged the Board to identify pressing national challenges, including sanitation, where research-driven innovation could produce evidence-based solutions with visible benefits for citizens.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang further called for stronger collaboration among universities, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), research institutes and the private sector to ensure that research findings translate into innovation, enterprise development and employment opportunities.
She also underscored the need to strengthen research that supports Ghana’s trade and industrialisation agenda.
On financing, the Vice President acknowledged the constraints on public resources and urged the Fund to diversify its funding sources through partnerships with industry, philanthropic organisations and development institutions.
However, she cautioned that all external partnerships and donor support must remain aligned with Ghana’s national priorities to safeguard the country’s long-term development objectives.
During the meeting, the National Research Fund briefed the Vice President on major milestones achieved since becoming operational. These include its transformation from a largely statutory institution into a fully operational national institution, the launch of the Fund by President John Dramani Mahama on June 16, 2026, the establishment of a functional Secretariat, progress towards the passage of its Legislative Instrument, and the development of a national research and innovation strategy focused on Ghana’s key development challenges.
The Fund also highlighted ongoing collaborations with government ministries, development partners and initiatives such as the Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence programme to strengthen research capacity in priority sectors.
Reflecting on the Fund’s establishment, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said she was pleased to witness the institution become operational after years of effort.
“I reflected on the long journey towards establishing the Fund, noting that our efforts, dating back to 2013, had laid the foundation for this important national institution,” she said, adding that it was gratifying to see the vision behind its creation becoming a reality.
She concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based policymaking, describing the National Research Fund as a critical institution for solving national problems, improving livelihoods and ensuring that research delivers tangible benefits for Ghanaians.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
