A technology expert at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology says Ghana’s democracy will be meaningless unless universities leverage technology to address food security issues.

 Dr. Donald Amrago who is Acting Director of Technology Consulting believes basic challenges like post-harvest losses must not be allowed to torment the country’s farmers.

Dr. Amrago was speaking at an Engineering Student Design competition in Kumasi.

He observes conventional methods of doing things slow the pace of development and asks universities to provide alternative solutions through technology.

Dr. Amrago says efforts must be geared towards community-friendly technology for accelerated growth of the country.

 “Techniques of doing things have been dredging, can we have a simple technology which can change such a way of doing things,” he quizzed.

This year’s competition focused on energy and food security.

Five competing teams showcased their innovations.

Overall winners, Team EVATECH, took home as their prize, 1,200 Ghana cedis for designing of an evaporative cooler.

The cooler is designed with market women in mind to keep fruits and vegetables fresh throughout the sale period.

Lecturer at the Department of Agriculture Engineering, Professor Emmanuel Bobobee, wants students to explore ICT to help address concerns of farmers.