AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY CONFAB OPENS (PAGE 14)

A Traditional ruler, Nene Drolor Bosso Adamtey, Suapolor of the Shai Traditional Area, has advocated the establishment of a science and technology park in the country to accelerate development.
He explained that the establishment of a first-class science and technology park would enable the country to take advantage of the technology revolution to develop the country into a middle- income country within a short period of time.
Nene Adamtey, who made the call at the opening of a four-day African Technology Conference in Accra yesterday, said Ghana was chosen for the technology conference because the country had the educational and technology infrastructure for business development.
He said the conference would therefore create networking opportunities between corporate technology professionals, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, academicians, students and government policy makers, as well as Africans in the Diaspora.
Nene Adamtey, known in private life as Dr Kingsley Fletcher, an international entrepreneur and Chairman of Life for Africa International, organisers of the conference, said technology had become part of the global world and Ghana in particular and Africa in general could not afford to be left out of its development.
He, therefore, called on Ghanaians and Africans to take part in the enhancement of technology for development.
He said as part of a programme to involve students in the enhancement of technology, 18 brilliant students from Ghana and Nigeria were offered scholarship to participate in the conference and brainstorm with captains in science and technology during the conference.
Nene Adamtey said their participation would help them to take charge of their future and contribute to the development of science and technology on the African continent.
He said there were four key factors that could contribute to a successful world-class technology park, which included an outstanding educational infrastructure.
An Information Communication Technology Specialist of Microsoft for Middle East and Africa, Mr Kelvyn Hicks, said the establishment of technology parks in the Middle East and Botswana in Africa had helped broaden access to education, as well as enabled students to learn with powerful tools.