OFAB GHANA Chapter Educates Tamale Students on Biotechnology

Regional News of Monday, 2 February 2015

Source: Joseph Kobla Wemakor

About 80 selected students drawn from 8 senior high schools within the Northern Region have benefited under a 1-day sensitization workshop on Biotechnology at the Nyankpala campus of the University of Development Studies in Tamale

They were ten participants each drawn from eight selected schools within Tamale, Tolon and Kumbungu respectively in the Northern Region.

"It was fashioned to sensitize students on job prospects in the field of Biotechnology and to encourage them to enroll in the subject for a better future" Dr. Margaret Ottah Atikpo, Focal Person of OFAB-Ghana Chapter has said.

Biotechnology is the use of scientific methods to produce genetically modified food crops that are more pest, disease and drought resistant and with short maturity periods. It is a technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives to make or modify products or processes for specific uses.

The technology unfortunately has suffered setbacks with controversies surrounding its introduction in Ghana since 2013 after the government announced it. Anti-GMOs groups and some individuals have raised concern about its safety encouraging Ghanaians to stand up against its introduction into the country's food chain.

They've claimed that accepting it will amount to "seed colonisation and seed slavery" which OFAB - Ghana has rejected vehemently

This worrying trend has affected the technology in diverse ways including its study as subject in schools by students.

But addressing 80 selected senior high students at the workshop, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye, in his keynote address advised students to adopt the study of Biotechnology as it has a lot of job prospects for them after school.

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OFAB GHANA Chapter Educates Tamale Students on Biotechnology