Ghana's Deputy Minister of Education, Kingsley Nyarko, underscored the importance of international collaboration in strengthening education systems, citing his country's participation in the II International Forum of Ministers of Education in Kazan, Russia.
During an interview with Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the forum, Nyarko emphasized Ghana's commitment to digital transformation and industrialization, highlighting the government's "One District - One Factory" initiative aimed at fostering economic growth.
"We have what we call one district - one factory. The idea is that we want to have factories in every district to spare growth in our industrialization agenda […] you cannot achieve this while sitting down and folding your arms," Nyarko stated. "There should be deliberate and intentional policies."
The deputy minister explained that Ghana is actively seeking to learn from other countries' experiences in digital literacy, technological advancement, and technical education and training programs to address the challenges of the 21st century.
"We want to exchange ideas as to how we can act on those ideas to be able to achieve this agenda of our country," Nyarko said, noting the importance of learning from countries like Russia to bridge the digital gap and prepare the Ghanaian youth for the future.
He added, "Our government, headed by Nana Akufo-Addo, doesn’t want Ghana to fall behind. We want to prepare a better future for our youth, especially."
Deputy Minister Nyarko also highlighted the existing collaboration between Ghana and Russia, mentioning the presence of Ghanaian students in Russia and the recent memorandum of understanding between the University of Ghana and the Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University (YSPU).
"I think we need each other in the world. You cannot be an island anywhere in our life," he said. "So continuous engagement, constant engagement with other countries, both the educational sector and industry players, for me, I think that is very important to help our various countries make progress."
The Ghanaian official also expressed his support for increasing the number of students learning Russian in Ghana, emphasizing the value of multilingualism and its benefits for both personal and professional development.
He mentioned the existing Russian language center in Accra, stating that exposure to Russian and other foreign languages is beneficial for Ghanaian students. He also highlighted the practical benefits of Russian proficiency and cited its potential for facilitating business relationships between Ghanaian and Russian entities.
"If a Ghanaian can speak Russian, that Ghanaian can accompany a Ghanaian businessman. The Ghanaian businessman is more likely to have confidence in the Ghanaian who speaks Russian than a Russian [person]," he noted.
The deputy minister also expressed his belief in the potential of BRICS countries, including Russia, to play a significant role in supporting the development of African nations, including Ghana.
The II International Forum of Ministers of Education was organized by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the My History Foundation, and the Republic of Tatarstan.