The Administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF), Prof. Abigail Opoku Mensah, has called for closer working relations between researchers and the media to improve the communication of scientific findings for national development.

Prof. Opoku Mensah said scientific research played an important role in shaping evidence-based policies, but added that the work of journalists was necessary to make such information accessible to the public.

She explained that although scientists in the country were producing research findings in areas such as health, energy, climate change and the environment, those findings would have greater value when presented in clear language that people at the community level could understand.

“This is where we need the media and journalists to understand science and help break down complex concepts for the benefit of the public,” she said.

Prof. Abigail Opoku Mensah, Administrator of the Ghana National Research Fund, addressing journalists at the opening session of the UK-Ghana STI Reportage workshop.

“The challenges confronting the country are many. We have scientific findings to address them, so the media should not be an afterthought in the knowledge ecosystem,” she added.

Media workshop

Prof. Opoku Mensah made the remarks at the opening of a four-day capacity building programme on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) reporting in Accra on March 10, 2026.

The programme was organised by the British High Commission in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The workshop forms part of the UK–Ghana Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy implemented through the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab (RAIL) at KNUST in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The initiative, introduced in 2023, aims to use scientific research to address development challenges.

Under the programme, 25 journalists are undergoing training in STI reporting to strengthen their ability to communicate scientific issues to the public.

Research role

Prof. Opoku Mensah said the establishment of the GNRF reflected the government’s recognition of the role of research in national development.

She said researchers and journalists must view their roles as complementary in building a knowledge-driven society where the public understands science and technology.

“This STI programme speaks directly to the mandate of the GNRF. We must recognise that research reaches its full value when its findings get to the people who need them,” she said.

She urged participants to take the training seriously and work towards producing strong stories on science and technology.

Partnership

In his remarks, the Director of the Office of Grants and Research at KNUST, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, said closer relations between scientists and the media would support the country’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prof. Kponyo said when scientists and journalists work together, the government would have access to well-researched information to guide policy decisions.