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Prof. Kwabena Twerefou holds inaugural lecture; calls for better stewardship of Ghana’s natural resources
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Director of the Academic Quality Assurance Directorate at the University of Ghana and a professor at the Department of Economics, Professor Daniel Kwabena Twerefou has called for stronger stewardship of Ghana’s natural resources, warning that the country’s long term development will remain under threat if forests, rivers, farmlands and other environmental assets continue to be degraded.
He made the call during his inaugural lecture at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana on Thursday, July 30, 2026 on the theme, “Ghana’s Stewardship Paradox: Rich in Resources, Poor in Governance.”
Prof. Twerefou said Ghana was richly endowed with forests, rivers, fertile lands, fisheries, minerals and biodiversity, but had failed to manage these resources effectively for the benefit of present and future generations.
He said the country’s natural resources had been entrusted to its people as stewards and should be managed responsibly to ensure sustainable development.
According to him, economic development could not be achieved without protecting the environment because every productive activity depended on natural resources.
He cited the destruction of trees around water bodies and pollution caused by illegal mining as examples of poor environmental stewardship, warning that the degradation of rivers and farmlands threatened food production, clean water supply and public health.
“If you pollute all these rivers and spoil all these lands, what are you going to eat and what are you going to drink?” he asked.
Prof. Twerefou stressed that natural resources should be treated as natural capital and called for stronger conservation measures and greater accountability in managing them.
He urged the country to add value to minerals and other natural resources before exporting them, saying value addition would generate more revenue and create greater economic benefits.
The professor advocated the application of the “polluter pays” principle, explaining that those who polluted the environment should bear the full cost of the damage they caused instead of passing it on to society.
He further called for the integration of indigenous knowledge into environmental governance, saying traditional systems of managing natural resources had promoted sustainability and should be built upon.
Prof. Twerefou observed that while Ghana had expanded its environmental laws and institutions over the years, weak enforcement, poor accountability, overlapping mandates and inadequate resources continued to undermine effective environmental governance.
He said sustainable development required stronger institutions, better accountability and policies that recognised the full value of ecosystems while ensuring that today’s use of natural resources did not compromise the welfare of future generations.
Chairperson of the event and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, described the lecture as timely and thought provoking.
She said the lecture demonstrated that natural resources alone did not make nations prosperous, adding that sustainable development depended on strong institutions, sound policies and effective leadership.
Prof. Amfo said forests, rivers, fisheries and biodiversity should be regarded as productive assets rather than inexhaustible gifts of nature because they supported every aspect of the economy.
She noted that environmental degradation was not only an ecological issue but also a development challenge that affected public health, food security, livelihoods and economic productivity.
The Vice Chancellor stressed that passing laws and establishing institutions alone would not solve environmental problems unless they were supported by commitment, accountability and integrity.
She said the lecture highlighted what she described as a shift from “stewardship without bureaucracy” to “bureaucracy without sufficient stewardship,” noting that although Ghana now had more environmental institutions, stewardship had weakened.
Prof. Amfo commended Prof. Twerefou for his contributions to environmental and natural resource economics and praised him for establishing the Governmental Economics Academy Excellence Award to support the next generation of scholars.
She added that the inaugural lecture reflected the University’s commitment to impactful research that informed public policy, strengthened institutions and contributed to addressing national development challenges.
By: Jacob Aggrey
MTN Ghana has undertaken a tree-planting exercise at the Chipa Forest Reserve as part of its commitment to protecting the planet and support the restoration of degraded sections of the forest.
The activity forms part of the company’s 2026 Sustainability Month celebration held under the theme “Small Actions: Big Impact,” and its 30th anniversary celebration.
It was held in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Rainforest Alliance with MTN Ghana supporting the restoration of approximately two hectares of degraded forest through the planting of 1,666 trees.
Due to the current dry weather conditions, 833 trees were planted during the exercise, with the remaining 833 to be planted when the rain commences.
The exercise brought together MTN employee volunteers, officials from the Forestry Commission and representatives of the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in driving environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, emphasized the critical role trees play in sustaining life and protecting the environment.
“Trees are essential to human survival and healthy ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, regulate temperatures, protect soil, support biodiversity and provide habitats for many species. They also conserve water, reduce erosion and help communities adapt to the effects of climate change,” she said.
The District Manager of the Tema-Ada Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Linda Ansah, welcomed MTN Ghana’s support, describing it as a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at restoring degraded sections of the reserve.
The Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance, Nicholas Jengri, also welcomed the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
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The Ministry of Education (MOE) has warned students, parents and guardians against fake and digitally manipulated Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) placement slips being circulated on social media.
The MOE said it had detected attempts by some unscrupulous individuals to digitally alter placement slips and circulate them online with claims that students’ original school placements had been changed by the Ministry.
A statement signed by Mr Hashmin Mohammed, the Press Secretary to the Minister of Education issued to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, described the claims as “false and misleading.”
It said preliminary internal verification had established that some of the placement slips being circulated did not correspond with records generated from the official CSSPS platform.
The statement noted that discrepancies had been identified in the barcodes and QR codes appearing on some of the purported placement slips.
“The codes did not match the placement information displayed on the documents being circulated as evidence of alleged changes,” it added.
The Ministry’s system records and audit logs did not support the claims being made by individuals circulating the materials, the statement said.
“The evidence available to the Ministry indicates that the affected documents have been digitally manipulated or otherwise altered to create the impression that students’ placements have been changed.”
It described the alleged manipulation as a serious attempt to undermine public confidence in the CSSPS process and create confusion and anxiety among students, parents and guardians.
The statement indicated that the Ministry had referred the matter to the Cyber Security Authority and other relevant security agencies for further investigation and appropriate action. It urged the public to exercise caution and avoid sharing unverified placement slips or claims about placement changes on social media.
Parents, guardians and students have also been advised to rely only on placement information obtained through official CSSPS channels.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the 2026 CSSPS exercise was conducted with transparency, fairness, integrity and accountability, adding that legitimate concerns regarding placement would be investigated through the appropriate channels.
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