Dr. Nii Narku Quaynor, FGA, has called on Ghana and Africa to invest more heavily in scientific innovation, computational sciences and local technological capacity to secure the continent’s digital future and reduce dependence on foreign technological systems.
He made the call while delivering the 2026 Inaugural Lecture in the Sciences of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), held on Thursday, 7 May 2026 at the Academy’s Secretariat in Accra.
Speaking on the topic “The Three Phases of Connectivity: Ghana’s Scientific and Political Journey to the Internet,” Dr. Quaynor reflected on Ghana’s digital evolution from the early development of computer science education to the establishment of Internet connectivity and the broader growth of Africa’s digital ecosystem.
He explained that Ghana’s Internet journey was shaped not only by technological advancement, but also by collaboration between science, government policy and industry. According to him, strategic partnerships, institutional support and local scientific innovation played critical roles in enabling Ghana to become one of the first countries in West Africa to establish Internet connectivity.
Dr. Quaynor recounted the emergence of Ghana’s computer industry at a time when access to digital technology across much of Africa remained limited and described how the establishment of Network Computer Systems (NCS) became central to Ghana’s early Internet connectivity efforts.
Reflecting on Africa’s technological future, Dr. Quaynor stressed that the continent must move beyond being consumers of technology to becoming creators and owners of innovation, emphasizing the need for greater investment in research, computational sciences and local technological capacity to reduce dependence on foreign technological systems and safeguard Africa’s digital sovereignty.
He also highlighted Ghana’s contribution to broader Internet development across Africa, including support for Internet infrastructure development in several African countries and participation in global Internet governance and technical institutions. “Ghana’s experience demonstrates the importance of African leadership and collaboration in shaping the continent’s digital future,” He added.
Chairing the lecture, Emerita Professor Isabella Ayinbah Quakyi, FGA, President of the Academy, called on universities, industry and the private sector to actively contribute to Ghana’s digital and technological advancement. She further urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to consider the lecture for inclusion in its Memory of the World initiative and the Encyclopedia Africana.
The lecture was attended by past presidents and Fellows of the Academy, members of the academic and scientific community, policymakers, technology professionals, stakeholders, and students from Accra Academy Senior High School and Odorgonno Senior High School, reflecting broad interest in Ghana’s digital history and technological future.
The participation of students also underscored the Academy’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of scientists, innovators and technology leaders. As one of the Academy’s flagship academic programmes, the Inaugural Lecture series continues to serve as an important platform for advancing scholarship, national discourse and inspiring the next generation of innovators and scholars.
