An Associate Professor at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof. Saa Dittoh, has urged Ghanaian academics and policymakers to end the cycle of shelf-bound, donor-driven studies. He made this call during the 6th Annual Research and Development Conference of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in Wa. The conference was held under the theme: "Research for Policy: Strengthening Evidence-Informed Policymaking for Ghana's Development." Prof. Dittoh emphasized the need for research that directly addresses national transformation.
Prof. Dittoh expressed concern that despite decades of academic work and development interventions in northern Ghana, tangible socioeconomic gains remain minimal. He attributed this to policy initiatives being shaped by foreign donor priorities rather than homegrown community needs. According to him, donors often fund projects that align with their own interests, leaving local priorities behind. This, he warned, can lead to "mal-development" that harms rather than improves the lives of citizens.
The Professor also cautioned researchers against offering single-crop agricultural recommendations that fail to reflect the reality of mixed-cropping systems practiced by smallholder farmers. He also warned against the indiscriminate reliance on artificial intelligence tools that lack context-specific local data. Prof. Dittoh emphasized that research recommendations must answer the "how" and "why" for practitioners on the ground, or they are useless.
The Chief Director of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (UWRCC), Shaiku Mumuni Damma, who opened the conference on behalf of Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing, affirmed that national transformation cannot be achieved through good intentions alone. He invoked the words of statistician W. Edwards Deming: "Without data, you're just another person with an opinion." Damma called on researchers and policymakers to bridge the systemic gap between laboratory discoveries and government desks.
The Vice-Chancellor of UBIDS and Chairman of the conference, Prof. Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile, announced that the university is establishing a dedicated Grants Office to bridge the research-funding deficit. The office will help faculty and researchers with proposal development, compliance, and partnership building. Prof. Derbile expressed satisfaction with the growing research interest among younger scholars, noting that postgraduate students accounted for roughly 60% of the 125 registered participants.
The Director of the Directorate of Research at UBIDS, Prof. Frederick Dayour, reported significant growth in the event's reach, attracting 165 abstract submissions from universities, health facilities, and district assemblies across Ghana and abroad. To ensure that academic research reaches government desks, Prof. Dayour highlighted the introduction of policy briefs as part of this year's proceedings. Of the 32 briefs submitted, 22 were selected for publication across key sectors.
In his closing remarks, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of UBIDS, Prof. Osumanu Issaka Kanton, urged faculty members and graduate students to steer clear of repetitive, off-the-shelf recommendations. He also warned students against the uncritical use of generative AI tools in academic writing, cautioning that bypassing intellectual rigor can result in severe academic and professional consequences. The conference aimed to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking for Ghana's development.
Key points
- - Prof Saa Dittoh challenges Ghanaian academics to prioritize research that translates into actionable national transformation. - Donor-driven studies often fail to address local priorities, leading to "mal-development". - The University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) is establishing a Grants Office to bridge the research-funding deficit.
