By Kamal Ahmed
Accra (GA/R), Dec. 19, GNA – Dr Daniel Nyadanu, Deputy Director for Cocoa and Kola Research at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana CRIG0, has called for strong corporate governance in research and public institutions to improve efficiency, accountability, and overall impact.
He said research institutions today operated in complex environments and, beyond technical competence, required accountability, transparency and responsible leadership to ensure that research outcomes translated into real benefits for farmers, and the wider society.
“Research institutions today operate in complex environments. Beyond technical competence, there is the need for accountability, transparency and responsible leadership to ensure that research outcomes translate into real benefits for farmers and the wider society,” he said.
Dr Nyadanu made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra after his induction into the Institute of Directors–Ghana (IoD-Gh).
He said the experience reinforced the importance of blending scientific expertise with sound management and leadership practices. Dr Nyadanu was inducted during the Institute’s annual solemn ceremony in December after successfully completing a professional course in Corporate Governance.
The Institute of Directors–Ghana is a member of the African Corporate Governance Network (ACGN).
Reflecting on his professional journey, Dr Nyadanu highlighted his long-standing commitment to cocoa research, particularly in the management of black pod disease, as well as his work on the conservation and value chain development of neglected and underutilised crops in Africa.
He said effective governance was critical to sustaining research programmes that improved farmers’ incomes and strengthened food and nutrition security.
Dr Nyadanu explained that his decision to undertake corporate governance training was influenced by his dual background as a scientist and administrator.
“As scientists, we often focus on data and results, but leadership requires an understanding of people, institutions and systems. Good governance ensures that research organisations remain credible and impactful,” he said.
Dr Nyadanu previously served as a Senior Lecturer in Genetics and Plant Breeding at the Department of Crop Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he mentored young plant breeding professionals across the sub-region, before joining CRIG, a subsidiary of Ghana COCOBOD.
He holds a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding from KNUST, an MPhil in Crop Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Cape Coast, an MBA in Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Education, Winneba.
He has also undertaken advanced short courses in plant breeding, statistics, scientific communication, leadership, and management at international institutions.
The Deputy Director has authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is a Fellow of the Climate Impact Research Capacity and Leadership for Sub-Saharan Africa (CIRCLE), as well as a member of several professional associations.
At the induction ceremony, Dr Nyadanu and other inductees swore an oath to uphold the five pillars of good corporate governance—accountability, responsibility, transparency, independence and fairness.
GNA
Edited by Audrey Dekalu