By Francis Ntow, GNA
Accra, Nov 14, GNA – Primetime Ltd has launched the 2026 STEM Festival, to celebrate creativity, innovation and potential among Ghana’s young minds in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers and changemakers for Ghana.
Launched in Accra on Wednesday, November 11, the festival will roll out three distinct activities to nurture, develop and empower young Ghanaians to turn innovative scientific ideas into real solutions for national development.
It is being supported by Jupay Money Transfer, Pepsodent, Cowbell, GTP, GhanaThinh Foundation, and UGEL Premier Domes.
The STEM Festival features three components, mentorship session, Sci-Tech Fair Exhibition and Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge, would provide opportunities for career guidance, display of student projects, and competition for young innovators.
Present at the event were, Dr Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu, Founder and Chairman of Primetime Limited, Ms Nana Akua Aboagyewaa Mensa-Bonsu, Managing Director, Primetime Limited, Dr Lucy Agyepong, Vice-President of Institutional Advancement, Academic City University, and Lead Consultant for the STEM Festival.
Madam Olivia Serwaa Opare, Director, Science Education Unit, STEM Coordinator, Ghana Education Service (GES), Mad Jemima Boatemaa Osei, Deputy Director, Ministry of Education, and Dr Victoria Akpene Dovi Wosornu, Dental Surgeon, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, were also there.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, in a speech read for him, described the festival as an important national occasion to celebrate young people, and motivate them to leverage their creativity, talent, and ingenuity to help solve Ghana’s solutions.
“The STEM festival symbolises a collective commitment to nurturing a generation of creative thinkers, problem-solvers, innovators, and future leaders who will contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s development,” he said.
He noted that STEM has become a fundamental driver of Ghana’s economic transformation and industrial development, saying, “as a nation, the ability of young people to understand and apply knowledge is no longer optional, but an essential part of life and national progress.”
He said the Ministry recognise that the future of Ghana’s education system went beyond classroom knowledge, requiring that learners be equipped with practical skills, critical thinking abilities, creativity, and the confidence to develop solutions to the real-life challenges facing their communities and the nation as a whole.
He pledged the government’s commitment to supporting Primetime Ltd in nurturing, empowering, and building a national cadre of young people to champion the country’s development through science and innovations.
In her address, Ms Mensa-Bonsu, Managing Director, Primetime Ltd, said the festival has been designed to nurture curiosity, develop problem-solving abilities, and empower young people to translate their ideas into practical solutions.
She emphasised that the festival would also offer young and innovative students’ opportunities to apply the knowledge they have acquired both in and outside of the classroom in real world situations.
On the mentorship sessions, she said the theme: “Shaping your digital footprint: Identity, character, and purpose for a future,” reflected the need to empower young people to take advantage of the opportunities, and manage the risks in a digital era.
“Through 15 sessions, students will have the opportunity to learn from professionals and gain insights into building a responsible digital identity, developing good character online, and using technology with purpose,” Ms Mensa-Bonsu said.
She explained that the 2027 Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge, on the theme: “Caught gold handed: Stopping ‘galasey’ in the tracks,” was to make young people aware of the situation and use their creative prowess to contribute to addressing the phenomenon.
The 2026 Sci-Tech Challenge features: Armed Forces SHTS, Bosomtwe STEM Boys’ SHS, Obuasi SHTS, Mancell Girls’ STEM SHS, Our Lady of Grace SHS, St. James Seminary SHS, St. Thomas Acquinas SHS, Sunyani SHS, West Africa SHS, Yilo Krobo SHS, and Obuasi SHTS, who have won all four previous editions.
The Sci-Tech Fair Exhibition, Ms Mensa-Bonsu said, provided the opportunity for students to present their works, share their ideas, interact with others, as well as showcase projects, and innovations, she stated.
“As we embark on this edition of the STEM Festival, let us remember that the challenges facing our country also present opportunities for innovation. The fight against illegal mining requires collective responsibility, and our young people have an important role to play in shaping a more sustainable future,” she said.
Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, Director General, GES, in a speech read on his behalf, recognized that the STEM Festival was recognising and celebrating the creativity, talent and ingenuity of Ghana’s young people, and giving them a platform to showcase what they can imagine, build and solve.
He emphasised that the central role of STEM in shaping the future, urging students, teachers and stakeholders to embrace it as a tool for innovation, problem-solving and national development.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei