Author: Vincent Amedzake

Imagine a world where the simple act of going to the bathroom could help solve a global crisis. This is the promise of the “Tiger Toilet,” a well researched and innovative composting toilet that is increasingly becoming a resort for sustainable sanitation. A case for this composting facility was made by Prof. Michael Templeton, a public health engineer and faculty at Imperial College London, at a recent Vice-Chancellor’s Occasional Lecture at the University of Ghana. The professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering highlighted this groundbreaking solution as part of a broader strategy to tackle the devastating impacts…

The Director of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) at the University of Ghana, Prof. David Dodoo-Arhin, has outlined his vision for battery technology research and the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries to support the electronic vehicle market in Ghana. The renowned Professor of Materials Science and Engineering based his vision on the critical need for a holistic approach to harnessing Ghana’s lithium potential. He was speaking at his inaugural lecture at the University of Ghana on the topic “Beyond the Limit: Engineering Sustainable Solutions for Basic Human Needs” Prof. Dodoo-Arhin noted that “Lithium alone may not revolutionize Ghana’s…

Women’s economic empowerment organization, the Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG Ghana), has, through a partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation, equipped 120 women in the Greater Accra Region with valuable vocational skills. The training program provided practical skills in mushroom cultivation, soap making, and snail farming. Additionally, participants received training in financial literacy, business management, pension contributions, and managing work-related stress, aiming to enhance their economic independence and sustainability. This initiative is the first phase of a broader two-year project titled “Economic Inclusion of Marginalised Women Living in Urban Areas,” which is being implemented in Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi, and Tamale.…

Professor Daniel Frimpong Ofori, a Project and Applied Management Specialist and Professor of Management at the University of Ghana Business School, has described strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a key tool for organizational success. Prof. Ofori, who led the drafting of the Ghana National CSR Policy (NSCRP) between 2013 and 2014, made this assertion during his inaugural lecture on the topic “Of Indomie, Kalypo and Condoms: An Intimate Conversation about Corporate Social Responsibility in Ghana.” Prof. Ofori discussed the theoretical dimensions of CSR and what is expected of organizations. “CSR means that an organization should be held accountable for…

Amidst the recent rise in migration of Africans seeking greener pastures in Europe and the Americas, Prof. Mary Boatemaa Setrana has called for individuals planning to migrate to reinvest their skills and capital into their home countries to support Africa’s development goals. Prof. Setrana, a distinguished migration scholar, believes that significant opportunities for improvements in Africa’s development fortunes exist if those seeking to migrate reconsider and reinvest their skills to improve Africa. She delivered this message during her keynote address at the June 2024 MIGNEX Conference organized by the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of…

A comprehensive training workshop geared towards strengthening health systems for disease elimination and eradication in Africa has commenced at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) in Ghana. This training brings together 31 health professionals from nine countries as part of collaborative efforts to combat infectious diseases in Africa and beyond. The training, a joint initiative by the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), The Carter Center, and the NMIMR, focuses on equipping participants with advanced strategies and tools for disease elimination. At the opening ceremony, Prof. Collins Ahorlu, Head of the Epidemiology Department at Noguchi and the lead…

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has emphasised the importance of data-driven decision-making for development and employment in Africa at the launch of the Africa Youth Employment Clock. Her comments come amidst rising youth unemployment rates across the African region and ongoing efforts by governments, development partners and institutions to find solutions, noting that data is essential in this process. The innovative tool, developed through a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and the World Data Lab, is designed to advance understanding and advocacy in creating employment opportunities for young people. It primarily functions as…

This new lab championed by the University of Ghana’s Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), is part of the “Supporting a Drug Discovery Hub in Ghana” research project and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, the lab is expected to boost the efforts of researchers to develop new drugs and build the capacity of young researchers. This facility becomes one of the first of its kind in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa, heralding a new era for scientific research in the region. The commissioning ceremony,…

The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at the University of Ghana has significantly enhanced its biomedical waste management capabilities with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art incinerator funded by the government of Japan. With the capacity to treat 250kg of medical waste per hour and 3,200kg per day, this new facility addresses critical waste management challenges and ensures safer disposal practices at Ghana’s foremost medical research Institute. The incinerator was provided under Japan’s Grant Assistant Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme. It is equipped with advanced features that operate at high temperatures to ensure the complete combustion of biomedical waste with…

Mr. Selorm Betepe, Founder and CEO of Seloart Group, has called for urgent modernization of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Ghana. Following his recent viewing of a documentary on GTV, Mr. Betepe expressed concerns about the current state of TVET, labeling the ongoing retooling efforts as outdated and ineffective. In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Betepe critiqued the continued use of traditional tools in technical schools, emphasizing that students should be trained with modern power tools and technology-driven equipment to better prepare them for the industry. “Students doing woodwork shouldn’t be cutting wood with hand…