A 21-member Governing Board of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was on Wednesday inaugurated with a mandate to strengthen research and innovation in the sustainable management of Ghana’s natural resources.

The Board is chaired by Professor Mark A. Taylor and include the following members: Mr. George Owusu-Ansah Amoah; Mr. Shadrack Kwadwo Amposah; Mr. Emmanuel Kwame Appiah-Adjei; Prof. Samuel Boakye Dampare; Mr. Seidu Al-Hassan; Mr. William Agyei-Manu; Prof. George Obeng Adjei; Prof. Mike Y. Osei Atweneboana; Mr. Richard Tweneboah-Kodua; Prof. Paul Bosu; Madam Suweibatu Adam; Prof. Augustine Ocloo and Mr. Alexander Bogney Bewong.

The rest are Mr. Kwasi Etu-Bonde; Dr. Anastasia Yirenkyi Michaelina; Mr. Kennedy Ewuntomah; Mr. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi; Mr. Stephen Djaba; Mr. Eric Keyman Defor; and Madam Mary Nsiah-Asare.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Acting Minister for Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), said the inauguration marked a significant step in positioning science, technology and innovation as key drivers of Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.

He explained that the Board’s core mandate is to promote, encourage and regulate the application of scientific and technological innovations for national development.

“As the highest governance authority of the CSIR, the Board is expected to provide strategic direction, exercise oversight, and ensure the effective performance of the Council’s functions,” Mr. Buah said.

He reminded members of their obligations under the CSIR Act, 1996 (Act 521), which tasks the Council with conducting research for the development and utilisation of Ghana’s natural resources.

He emphasised the need for research outcomes to extend beyond academic publications and laboratory work to address real national challenges.

The Acting Minister urged the Board to pursue strategic interventions in priority national programmes, including the Ghana School Feeding Programme, and to remain attentive to public concerns in order to advise government effectively.

He also encouraged stronger partnerships with the private sector, protection of intellectual property, and the transformation of research into commercially viable products and services.

Responding on behalf of the Chair, Prof. George Obeng Adjei thanked President John Dramani Mahama for appointing the members and assured the government of their commitment to the CSIR’s mandate.

“We are mindful of the responsibility entrusted to us and the trust that this function requires. We pledge to discharge our duties with diligence and humility, conscious of the strategic role the CSIR plays in Ghana’s development,” he said.

Prof. Adjei further cautioned that neglecting the mandate could have long-term consequences for the sustainability of Ghana’s natural assets.