Multi-actor platform to advocate for open data in Ghana on the way

Group photo after opening session.
Photo: Justin Chisenga

Participants at the Forum on Open Data, Open Science and Open Access in Agriculture in Ghana have agreed to establish a multi-actor platform to advocate for open data in the country.

Initial ground work on the platform, the Ghana Open Data Alliance, has been done by the National Information Technology Agency (NITA). The Forum provided NITA with an opportunity to bring on board several other stakeholders, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), and Farm Radio International, among many others.

The participants also agreed that appropriate open data policy framework, capacity development in data management, and data sharing standards, are key to the success of open data and open science in agriculture in the country.

Presentations and discussions at the Forum highlighted key initiatives on open data and open access in the country, concerns and fears, and the challenges being faced. The presentations included the following:

• Open Data and Open Science in Agriculture: Global Trends and Major Initiatives – Mr. Justin Chisenga, Capacity Development Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy.
• Building Capacities for Open Access and Visibility of African Scholarly Work - Experiences from AAU – Ms Nodumo Dhlamini, Director ICT Services & Knowledge Management, Association of African Universities (AAU), Accra.
• FARA and Open Data & Open Science in Agriculture - Mr. Dady Demby, Knowledge Management Officer, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Accra.
• Ghana Open Data in Agriculture  – Mr. Eric Akumiah, Project Manager, Ghana Open Data Initiative, National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Accra. 
• Open Access to Agricultural Research in Ghana - Dr. Joel Sam, Director, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Institute for Scientific and Technological Information, Accra.
• Strengthening the Use of ICT for Agriculture, Rural Development and Wealth Creation - Mr. John Awuku Dziwornu, Vice President, Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen, Asutuare, Ghana. 
• Social Innovation and Open Data Nexus Critical for Smallholder Empowerment - Mr. Worlali Senyo, Director of Growth, R & D, Farmerline Ltd, Kumasi.

Speaking at the opening session, Dr Victor Kwame Agyeman, Director-General of the country’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), indicated that the CSIR was committed to open access and would soon implement an open access policy to improve access to its research.

In is opening address, Dr Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Food and Agriculture

Dr Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Representative
to Ghana.  Photo: Justin Chisenga

Organization Representative to Ghana, emphasized the need for governments to put in place enabling environments favourable to open data sharing, and regulations to enforce common standards for collecting, producing, sharing and using open data to ensure that new data is safely and ethically transformed into public goods.

Participants at the forum came from the following institutions, among others:

• National Information Technology Agency
• Ministry of Food and Agriculture
• Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen
• Farm Radio International
• Association of African Universities
• Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa
• University of Ghana College for Basic and Applied Sciences
• CSIR Food Research Institute
• CSIR Water Research Institute
• CSIR Institute for Scientific and Technological Information
• CSIR Science and Technology Policy Research Institute

What remains now is for the participants at the meeting to take the initiative and and establish the platform as soon as possible.

What is the state of open data and open science in agriculture in Ghana?

What is the state of open data and open science in agriculture in Ghana? What are the major initiatives in the country on open access to agricultural data and information? What major challenges are being faced by stakeholders? Which institutions are leading open data and open science initiatives in the country? Do Ghanaian researchers in agriculture support open data and open science and why? Are major research institutions ready to share their research data? How about farmers’ organizations, what is their view about open data and open science in agriculture?

The above and many more questions will be addressed at the Forum on Open Data, Open Science and Open Access to Information in Agriculture in Ghana to be held on 11 July 2016 in Accra.

The goal of the forum is to provide a platform for stakeholders in Ghana to discuss strategies and share knowledge on institutional and national initiatives aimed at enhancing the visibility, accessibility and usability of agricultural data, science and information to enhance their contribution to food security and good nutrition

Participants at the forum will come:

• Ministries of agriculture, science and technology and related fields
• Agricultural and related research organizations
• Universities/schools/faculties of agriculture
• Private sector organizations 
• Farmer organizations
• Media organizations
• Civil society organizations (NGOs) involved in agriculture and rural development

The following organizations are collaborating on organizing the forum:

• Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (INSTI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
• Association of African Universities (AAU)
• Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA)
• College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) of the University of Ghana (UG)
• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN)
• Research4Life
• CIARD – Open Agricultural Knowledge for Development

A report on the Forum will be published on this blog next week. You can also follow also follow @JustinChisenga quicjk updates from the Forum. Look out for #AgriOpenData.