The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Akyamfoɔ Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, has charged universities in Ghana to ensure their research directly responds to the country’s most urgent development challenges.

“Let our final-year projects and our doctoral theses tackle the hard chemistry of galamsey remediation,” he told participants at the 21st Ghana Chemical Society Conference in Kumasi.

He stressed that research must move beyond academic theory to produce solutions that address environmental degradation, food insecurity, clean energy, and public health.

He added that chemistry should remain at the centre of Ghana’s development drive from affordable drug development and water purification technologies to disease-fighting materials and sustainable industrial innovation.

“Imagine a thriving Ghanaian industry that manufactures biodegradable packaging from cassava starch, produces bio-fertilizers from cocoa waste, and leads West Africa in advanced water purification technologies. This is not a dream; it is a business plan waiting to be executed,” he said.

The Governing Council Chair called for the transition from “framework to function,” urging aggressive implementation of national plans such as the Renewable Energy Master Plan and the National Energy Transition Framework.

“We need tangible incentives tax breaks, grants, and streamlined regulations that make it easier and more profitable for a green chemistry startup to launch than for an importer of hazardous chemicals to operate,” he noted.

Addressing young scientists, he reminded them of the legacy of Ghanaian chemical engineer Dr. Thomas Mensah, whose pioneering work in fiber optics enabled the modern internet.

“To the students and young scientists in this room, the vanguard of our future: your work is more than a career. It is a patriotic duty. I challenge you to be the next Thomas Mensah but for sustainability.”

Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. David Asamoah said today’s most pressing problems from climate change to antimicrobial resistance and food insecurity demand interdisciplinary solutions.

“These cannot be solved by one discipline alone. They require chemists working alongside engineers, economists, policymakers, and communities. Ultimately, our task as educators is to prepare the next generation to compete globally while staying grounded locally producing research that is world-class but also directly addresses Ghana’s unique challenges,” he emphasized.

Provost of the College of Science, Prof. Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi, also called for sustaining the conference and urged participants to maximize the potential of chemistry in driving national progress.

“As a Chemical Society, we are charging you to really use chemistry for a sustainable future to ensure that things are done for issues on environment, agriculture, clean energy, and public health,” he stated.

The 5-day conference, themed “Chemistry for a Sustainable Future: Innovations for Environment, Agriculture, Clean Energy, and Public Health,” brought together policymakers, academics, and industry leaders for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration.