The Deputy Coordinator for the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Secretariat, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah has highlighted that the government is committed to producing great Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals who would solve societal problems.
She emphasised that students in various STEM institutions established by the government across the country would soon join the productive part of the economy and bring onboard mind-boggling projects to put the nation at a great pace of development.
Touching on activities that have shed light on the capabilities of these young talents, Nana Sika mentioned that the STEMNNOVATION competition initiative by the FSHS Secretariat has contributed to unearthing and harnessing the potential of brilliant STEM students in SHS, Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions in Ghana.
This, she underscored, would prepare the youth to embark on laudable projects that would impact several interventions in maintaining national sustainability.
According to her, it is prudent to invest in the STEMNNOVATION project by the Education Ministry to increase the number of Ghana’s STEM professionals for national development.
“Ghana’s future will be filled with a lot of distinguished STEM professionals who are poised to address societal challenges to attain a long-lasting socio-economic development,” she reiterated.
She commended Obuasi Technical Institute for emerging as victors of the STEMNNOVATION 2024 competition by showcasing a staunch innovative spirit and dedication to beat other competitors.
This year’s STEMNOVATION focused on four critical areas essential for Ghana’s development, namely: sustainable energy, environmental sustainability, food sovereignty and digital technology.
Sustainable energy is a topic that has become increasingly important in the world today. It’s all about harnessing natural resources that can be replenished and don’t harm the environment. Some of the key sources of sustainable energy highlighted by the students include solar and wind energy.
The students explicitly explained environmental sustainability as the ability to maintain an ecological balance in the planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the well-being of current and future generations, professing interesting ways to do so.
Their understanding of food sovereignty as a food system where the people who produce, distribute and consume food have control over the food system’s policies and mechanisms, was amazing – developing innovative ways to achieve that.
She expressed gratitude to all organisations and individuals who came on board to help in making STEMNNOVATION 2024 a success.
