Exploring the Future Through Innovation

by Patience Gbeze/Edward Danquah

Professor Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, the President and Founder, of Nobel International Business School (NiBS), says Ghana must have a concise national innovation strategy to promote national cohesion.
He said to engage in meaningful discussions about innovation on a national scale, it was essential that such efforts were guided by a clear, strategic framework that defined and drove a cohesive national innovation strategy.

The President of NiBS said the strategy must outline the scope and objectives of innovation, specify the role of various sectors in driving innovation, and establish frameworks for measuring outcomes and results.

Prof. Atuahene-Gima added that Government organizations worldwide had developed policies to foster innovation, however, in countries where innovation was a national priority, the government typically implemented a comprehensive strategy.

The Founder and President of NiBS was speaking at the Certified Innovation Professionals Association’s Innovation Forum in Accra, under the theme, “Exploring the Future through Innovation,”

The forum brought together industry leaders, experts, innovators, and other stakeholders to discuss ways to address societal and governmental issues with innovation at the center.

Prof. Atuahene-Gima said innovation was increasingly being recognized not only within organizations and individual offices, but also at the national level.

He said Ghana would benefit from a national innovation strategy that offered clear guidance to private businesses, helping entrepreneurs align their activities with nation
goals, identify growth opportunities, and access government support to enhance innovation capacity.

Prof. Atuahene-Gima said additionally, it would outline the resources available to help businesses build their innovation potential and achieve measurable outcomes.

“Now this is what we need, and I think that if we carry the conversation along these lines, we will be far better at implementing innovation, not only at the national level, but
at company level, at the individual level and at the community level,” he stressed.
He said in the future, organisations would be required to demonstrate their innovation capability.

The Professor said in that regard, the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) recently published a new standard, which was released in September, outlining
the criteria organisations must meet to be recognised as innovators.
He said in Ghana, many innovation awards lacked concrete evidence, proposing that organizations adopt the ISO 56001 standard to provide measurable proof of their
innovation capabilities.

Dr. Richard Ampofo Boadu, the President of Certified Innovation Professional Association (CIPA), said the Association was actively working to engage with young people by introducing innovation challenges in secondary schools.

He said this initiative was part of their ongoing efforts to foster creativity and innovative thinking among the youth, and that it was a key part of their future.

The President of CIPA said they were also exploring the creation of innovation hubs as part of their strategic initiatives.He said as a young association, while they aimed to launch these efforts soon, it served as an introduction to the Ghanaian public of what the Association could achieve.

Dr. Boadu said most Ghanaians possessed strong creative thinking skills; however, creativity alone does not always translate into innovation.

“Our role as an association is to channel these creative ideas into tangible innovations. By promoting best practices in innovation, we aim to help individuals and organizations develop their innovative capabilities, fostering a more innovation-driven culture,” he added.