The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has stressed that while digital technologies are transforming the global workforce, real progress depends on the people who design, manage, and deploy them.
She made the remarks as Chairperson for the opening ceremony of the 46th Management Week Celebration organised by the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), held on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the R.S. Amegashie Auditorium. The event was themed “Developing Talent for a Digital and Sustainable Future: HR Strategies for Ghana and Beyond.”
According to Prof. Amfo, future-ready institutions and nations will not be defined by natural resources alone, but by their ability to attract, develop, and continuously reskill talent.
“Technology is a powerful enabler, but technology alone does not create progress. People do,” Prof. Amfo stated.
“The most advanced systems are only as effective as the people who design them, govern them and deploy them responsibly. Our responsibility is therefore not merely to produce graduates who can use technology. Our responsibility is to develop leaders who can harness technology to solve real human problems,” she added.
She noted that this reality has expanded the role of Human Resource professionals, who she described as key drivers of organisational culture, innovation, and ethical leadership, rather than mere personnel managers.
Prof. Amfo also highlighted the University of Ghana’s recent performance in the QS World University Rankings 2027, where it emerged as the top-ranked university in Ghana and West Africa. She described the achievement as a responsibility rather than a destination.
“While we are proud of this achievement, we view it not as a destination but as a responsibility. It is a reminder that universities in Africa can compete globally, while remaining deeply committed to addressing local and continental challenges. It is proof that excellence and relevance are not competing goals. They are mutually reinforcing,” she noted.
Addressing students, she urged them to combine digital skills with critical thinking, creativity, adaptability, ethical judgment, and emotional intelligence.
“Develop digital competences, by all means, that is no option in today’s world,” she urged.
“But also cultivate critical thinking, creativity, adaptability, ethical judgment and emotional intelligence. These are the capabilities that will distinguish successful leaders in an age when technology can replicate many technical skills but cannot replace human wisdom.”
Prof. Amfo further called on faculty members to prioritise research that informs policy and addresses real societal challenges, noting that universities must produce “knowledge that matters.”
She concluded that sustainable development requires investment not only in technology, but also in people, adding that universities must focus on developing leaders, not just workers.
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Story by Wilhemina Dushie | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
