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| | Prof. Adiku Delivers Inaugural Lecture |    | | |  “Food security in Ghana has to be seen from a broader perspective than climate variability and change alone.” This statement was made by Professor Samuel G.K. Adiku, Professor of Soil Science at the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and Head of the Academic Quality Assurance of the University when he recently delivered his inaugural lecture on the topic “Of droughts, floods, soils and food security: Prophecies of a Soil Scientist” in the Great Hall of the University.
Prof. S.D.K. Adiku delivering his Inaugural Lecture Professor Adiku noted that changes in global climate have been linked to increased carbon emissions via industry and improper land use, and said that the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide is expected to double by the medium term (2050) and global temperatures will increase by 2˚C. These changes he said would have far reaching consequences to quality of life on earth. He said however that this challenge provides impetus for scientists to improve their climate prediction skills.
Professor Adiku highlighted aspects of his research on the subject of droughts, floods and soils as they relate to food security in Ghana. According to him, statistical analysis of long-term climate data showed significant changes in rainfall patterns in many farming zones of Ghana. He said in the northern regions, the onset of the rains has shifted from March to May and June rainfall has declined, adding that increasingly, May rainfall signifies a “false” seasonal onset as many farmers have to delay planting even as late as July. He said increased rainfall in July had predisposed increasing flood conditions later in the season. For the southern regions, Prof. Adiku said rainfall in March and April has decreased while that in May increased, thus shifting the planting periods into May. He further noted that late planting implies that crops would mature into drier conditions whiles increased rainfall in August also narrows the gap between the major and minor season and adversely affecting grain drying as well as resulting in an increase in post harvest losses.
 Arguing that increased climate change awareness is desirable, Prof. Adiku noted that this must be complemented with the development of appropriate technologies that will minimize any adverse impacts or take advantage of the positive aspects. He opined that rather than continuously lament over the adverse impacts of climate change, it was important to search for the opportunities that climate change offers for technology development and scientific advancement to address agricultural development and scientific challenges facing Ghana. He mentioned lack of money for research and cutting down of trees as major challenges. On the way forward, he called on scientists to come on board to help solve the drought problem, he called on the young ones to get into the study of science so we can get more people to predict and forecast into the future. He also called for the establishment of Ghana Carbon Fund to provide money to research into climate change.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, who chaired the lecture, described the lecture as insightful as he said it was a reflection of the individual contribution Professor Adiku had made to the development of education. He said his work is a demonstration of how academics can engage with communities and the role university researchers can play to contribute to society. He said being out of reach and touch with the “real world” is a foremost issue professors have often been accused of. The Vice-Chancellor was elated that the works of Professor Adiku had showed that “Soil Science at Legon is not out of tune” with the real world. Making reference to farmers’ insurance, he said what it means is that soil scientists can work with people in other disciplines and this is how science will grow in future.
Earlier in his introductory remarks, the College Registrar of the College of Health Sciences, who stood in for the Registrar said the delivery of an inaugural lecture is an indication that one has risen to the pinnacle of the academic ladder.
The lecture was well attended by members of the academia, staff and students of the University, old students of Mawuli Senior High School, members of Adenta E. P. Church as well as members of Professor Adiku’s family.
Later, presentations were made to Professor Adiku by the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, from the E. P. Church, Legon, and from his wife and children. The Inaugural Lecture climaxed a week long exhibition of the academic works of Professor Adiku mounted by the Balme Library of the University. | | | | Date Published: 16/04/2012 | | | |   |
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