The Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has called for independent solutions to the country's challenges.

During a familiarization visit to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on February 18, 2025, the minister expressed concern over the impact of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding cuts on CSIR.

He revealed that the cancellation of USAID funding has affected over five key projects at CSIR.

“We have a number of projects supported by USAID, particularly at the Savannah Agricultural Institute. These include projects on cattle breeding, cowpea breeding, rice breeding, and maize breeding. In total, about five projects are affected. Because of the policies of the Trump administration, we will not receive further funding, which means these projects will stall unless we find ways to continue them,” he said.

The minister also suggested that, in some cases, the affected projects might require sending samples to laboratories in the US or seeking support from US universities.

“This situation should serve as a lesson for the country to find ways to become more self-reliant.

“We are putting together a detailed report for our minister, outlining the affected projects, their current stages, the funding gap, and potential solutions.”

He emphasized that, while the U.S government has the right to decide where to allocate its funds, Ghana must find alternative means to support its research.

“It’s their money, so they decide how to use it. But it’s time for us, as a people, to add value to our own research and find the funding ourselves,” he said.

He continued, “This requires a lot of diplomatic engagement, and I understand that the decision was made by the President of the United States. Ghana has had a long diplomatic relationship with the U.S, and this remains true regardless of which political party is in power.

“I am confident that President Mahama will once again engage with his counterparts on this issue. We are hopeful for a resolution that allows us to continue such arrangements.

“However, for me, this situation is a reminder that as a state, we need to look at independent ways of managing our affairs.

“Even if we successfully negotiate for the funding to be restored, what happens if this situation arises again in the future? We must explore ways to find solutions to our challenges independently.”

Funding Ghana receives from USAID:

According to data from USAID, the government of Ghana, on average, receives funding of $150 million from USAID.

These funds are used to implement programmes in various sectors of the economy, including education, health, agriculture, and governance.

For 2025, the government of Ghana is reported to have requested $137.7 million to fund programmes in the sectors listed above.



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