The Founding President and Executive Dean of Nobel International Business School (NIBS), Professor Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, has challenged the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as the Ministry of Business Development to spearhead the development of an innovation culture in the country.
According to him, Ghana’s challenge of value-addition and industrialization can be solved if an effective system is developed to foster innovation.
Prof. Atuahene-Gima’s submission follows President Nana Akufo-Addo’s recent call for Africa to build value-added, industrialized economies with modernized agriculture, which takes full advantage of the digital revolution to create wealth and prosperity for her people.
In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Professor Atuahene-Gima called for the development of the innovation capacity of top executives in the country to be prioritized.
“One of the roles that the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation as well as the Ministry of Business Development should be playing to me, is helping organizations build their innovation capacity. We have been talking about value addition to our raw materials for years but where are the results. We are failing because we haven’t trained top executives to actually build the innovation capacity within their organizations.”
He advised that for an innovation culture to become the norm, it is important for organizations and groups to look at innovation from three angles.
He implored both state and private organizations to first of all look at innovation from a process perspective, which requires companies to constantly turn creative ideas into useful products for customers.
In addition, Prof. Atuahene-Gima asked organizations to look at innovation from an outcome perspective.
“This perspective requires that companies focus innovation on the challenges and problems that customers have. Finally innovation must be viewed from a mindset or cultural perspective. By this, companies are to build an environment where innovation becomes part of everyone’s responsibility,” he said.
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By: Bobbie Osei/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana