by D.I. Laary, GNA
Accra, April 11, GNA – Ghana’s push to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to everyday problem-solving took centre stage at the 2026 Open Day of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (CSIR-INSTI) this week.
The event showcased locally developed digital platforms and precision technologies designed to improve healthcare delivery, boost agricultural productivity and strengthen education, highlighting CSIR’s efforts to align scientific research with national development needs.
The event, themed “Transforming Innovation Through AI, Precision Technologies, and Open Scientific Knowledge,” drew policymakers, scientists, students and community members.
Addressing participants, Dr Paul A. Danquah, Director of CSIR-INSTI, stated that the display of varied innovations reflected the institute’s mission to harness technology for everyday impact.
“Artificial intelligence and precision technologies are enabling us to accelerate data analysis, improve decision‑making, and reduce human error,” he said.
The institute presented the Ghana Agric Data Hub, a digital platform that integrates weather data, cropping calendars, and agricultural datasets to guide planting, pest control, and harvesting.
In addition, the Farm Academy e-learning platform provides training modules, video tutorials and courses to help farmers apply CSIR technologies and adopt research-driven practices.
“These platforms open access to knowledge that was once locked away in laboratories,” Dr Danquah said. “For a farmer in Tamale or a student in Koforidua, this means science is no longer distant, it is practical and usable.”
Headline technology included an AI malaria diagnostic app designed to give frontline health workers and patients faster, more accessible detection.
“Without timely diagnosis, malaria can be deadly. This tool puts power in the hands of communities,” he explained.
Other innovations showcased were crop disease detection apps for maize and tomato, which allow farmers to photograph leaves and receive instant AI analysis; a real‑time soil testing device capable of measuring nine parameters on‑site; and the Digital Agricultural Innovation Hub, which hosts more than 400 technologies.
The KwaFu Marketplace, an e‑commerce platform for agricultural value chains, was also presented, alongside an Extension Portal enabling officers to communicate with farmers via text, audio, and video, and an Early Warning System providing real‑time pest and disease alerts.
“Farmers need information quickly, not weeks later,” said an extension officer. “These tools mean we can respond before pests destroy entire fields.”
Prof. Paul Bosu, Director‑General of CSIR, described the day as “AI technology day. This open day will zipline the institute into higher levels of research, technology generation, and project influence.”
Council Chairman Mr Mark Anthony Taylor stated that CSIR’s innovations must be linked to Ghana’s industrialisation and digitalisation priorities.
“Our focus is on strengthening research and ensuring CSIR contributes significantly to socio‑economic development,” he added.
For farmers, the technologies promise higher yields and resilience against climate shocks, while for patients, the malaria app offers quicker diagnosis and treatment, reducing deaths.
But for students, platforms such as Farm Academy and the Ag Data Hub provide access to knowledge once confined to laboratories.
“These technologies are not just about science. They are about saving lives, feeding families, and giving communities hope,” one participant remarked.
Despite the breakthroughs, Dr Danquah said funding shortages and ageing infrastructure remain major obstacles to scaling the institute’s work.
He noted that while CSIR‑INSTI has produced 150 publications and 24 technologies in recent years, many tools cannot reach farmers or clinics without sustained investment in equipment and facilities.
“We have the ideas, we have the prototypes, but without resources they remain on shelves,” he said.
CSIR recently signed an MOU with AI Africa to train staff across the council in artificial intelligence applications, including accountants and administrators.
An endowment fund is also being operationalised to support innovation, with staff encouraged to contribute one per cent of their earnings.
Prof. Bosu gave the assurance that retooling of CSIR institutes was underway, despite earlier delays, and would soon provide resources to sustain projects.
“We are determined to ensure these innovations do not die in infancy,” he said.
The CISI-INSTI Open Day showed both the opportunities and limits of Ghana’s innovation drive, officials said.
And that integrating AI into healthcare and agriculture would improve food security, strengthen public health and raise Ghana’s scientific profile in Africa.
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade