Professor Godwell Nhamo of the University of South Africa (UniSA) has encouraged Ghanaian universities to align their research works with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) frameworks to contribute towards attaining the 17 intertwined goals by 2030.
He said the 17 SDGs had 169 targets and many indicators out of which university lecturers and research students could select topics for research to address the SDGs implementations at various levels.
Prof. Nhamo, also the Chairperson of Climate and Sustainability Transitions at UniSA, was speaking in Wa at the opening of the 4th International Research and Development Conference of the SDD University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS).
The theme for this year’s conference was: “Nine Years Down the Road to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: What is on Display from African Businesses and other Stakeholders”.
This year’s conference attracted 104 registered participants from across many universities and institutions in Ghana and beyond including the University of Nigeria Nsukka, CK Tadem University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Navrongo, the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization and postgraduate students of the SDD-UBIDS.
Prof. Nhamo observed that none of the universities in Ghana was listed among the top 15 universities globally that were writing about the SDGs and challenged the SDD-UBIDS to prioritise publishing SDGs-related research.
He acknowledged the Universities of Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa and the Chinese Academy and University College of London among others as some of the top 15 universities publishing works around the SDGs.
Prof. Nhamo said with about six years to the roundup of the agenda 2030, there was the need to reflect on the progress made by stakeholders, including businesses and the academia towards achieving those Goals.
“Although limited, there is still time for African businesses and other key stakeholders to make amends, impress the SDG framework fully, and fast-track initiatives focusing on addressing SDGs implementation at various levels”, he stated.
He explained that the SDGs provided useful structure for governments, academia, small, medium, and large-scale businesses, and other stakeholders towards realising the SDGs agenda including eradicating poverty.
“The Corporate Social Responsibility engagement and its interfacing with SDGs remain in the global spotlight.
“Companies need to be good citizens investing significantly in their communities and uplifting the standard of life.
Moving forward, all businesses are encouraged to remain and or jump into the business of implementing corporate social responsibility projects related to the SDGs or using the SDGs framework”, Prof. Nhamo admonished.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper West Regional Minister, observed that the agenda 2030 was “one of the noblest decisions the world has taken in this 21st century”, which presented a great opportunity to bring prosperity to millions of people across the world.
He explained that the government had over the years taken initiatives in the agriculture, education, health sectors among others towards attaining those Goals.
Mr Yakubu observed that no single country could achieve sustainable development in isolation.
He said the Conference should offer the opportunity to reflect on effective ways stakeholders could support the government in its quest to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Source: GNA
