Commission makes case for nuclear energy in Ghana
Professor Benjamin Nyarko, Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), has re-echoed the need for the nation to take a strong stance to develop nuclear energy for industrial and socio-economic purposes.
Nuclear energy, he said, was about the most cost-effective option for electricity generation, arguing that the nation ought to follow the examples of India, China, and some other Asian developing countries, to help meet its development objectives.
Citing the consistent erratic power supply being experienced in Ghana, the Director-General noted that it was appropriate for the necessary steps to be taken to invest in the sector, in order to bring relief to the people.
“When we talk of nuclear it generates varied opinions, but I think the time has come for us as a nation to take a second look at the issue in a holistic manner and mobilize resources to reactivate the programmes initiated in this sector since independence for accelerated growth”, he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
This was on the sidelines of the on-going First International Conference on Engineering, Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship, being hosted by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
“Promoting Creativity and Innovation through Engineering, Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship for Development”, is the theme for the two-day programme.
The workshop would look at issues bothering on Agriculture and Food Security, the Built Environment, Energy, Electronic and Communication Technology, Water, Environment and Human Health, Entrepreneurship and related issues.
Professor Nyarko insisted that in order for the nation to pull itself out of its development challenges, she needed to apply and embed engineering, science, technology and innovation into her day-to-day activities.
Touching on the “Nuclear for Power Project”, a programme being pursued to tap Ghana’s nuclear energy potentials, he said an agreement had been signed by the GAEC and a Russian organization for the possibility of developing existing programmes to generate electricity for the nation.
Prof Dr. Kamal Kant Dwivedi, President of the Global Academy of Doctorates, India, who addressed the opening session of the conference, observed that higher education held the key to transforming the African continent for the better.
He, therefore, challenged policy-makers to take bold initiatives to churning out well-resourced scientists and technocrats to chart the path for sustainable development.
Prof Dwivedi also advised the KNUST, Ghana’s premier science and technology tertiary institution, to build strong linkages with industries and the private sector, to make its research findings more relevant to the society.
He reminded the authorities that in the face of the dwindling government budgetary support for research activities in most African countries, bridging the academia-industry gap provided the opportunity for universities to meet their goals.
Source: GNA