Recently, a story from China made me reflect on what societies choose to celebrate and what those choices reveal about their values.
Imagine walking through a busy railway station and seeing a scientist on a giant billboard.
Not selling a product but being honoured for work that has changed lives.
In China, public displays have celebrated scientists such as Yuan Longping, whose pioneering work in hybrid rice transformed agricultural production and Tu Youyou, whose research contributed to life-saving malaria treatment.
What struck me was the message: contribution matters.
Such recognition does not mean Chinese scientists face no difficulties, but it tells young people that knowledge, perseverance and service deserve admiration.
Naturally, my thoughts turned to Ghana.
Who do we celebrate?
Whose stories do we tell?
And what are we teaching our children about success?
When Popularity Overshadows Contribution
We live in an age when visibility is increasingly mistaken for value.
Someone can become famous overnight through outrageous behaviour or fleeting social media controversy.
Interviews follow, platforms amplify the spectacle and attention becomes its own reward.
Scientists spend decades solving problems affecting our farmers, industries and communities, largely unnoticed.
Medical researchers improve diagnosis.
Food scientists develop technologies to reduce postharvest losses.
Engineers improve productivity.
Healthcare professionals devote their lives to caring for others.
Their stories rarely receive comparable attention.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating musicians, actors or athletes.
They enrich our lives.
But surely we can appreciate entertainment while honouring those whose work feeds our population, protects our health and advances development.
The Quiet Hands Behind Progress
Scientific work is seldom glamorous.
It happens quietly in laboratories, hospitals, farms and research institutions.
There are no cheering crowds when an experiment succeeds after months of failure, or cameras waiting as a researcher spends another evening analysing results.
Yet these unseen moments underpin national progress.
I know something of this life. I spent almost two decades in scientific research.
Those years taught me discipline, resilience and the value of turning knowledge into practical solutions.
They brought tremendous fulfilment, but also frustrations: inadequate resources, institutional constraints and promising innovations struggling to move beyond the laboratory.
I remain proud of that chapter and deeply appreciative of colleagues who continue despite difficult conditions.
But dedication should not become an excuse for neglect.
We cannot build a modern economy while neglecting science.
Ghana speaks passionately about industrialisation, food security, agricultural transformation and better health care.
How do we deliver these ambitions without investing in the people whose expertise makes them possible?
We need agricultural scientists and food technologists to transform production, engineers and researchers to build competitive industries and healthcare professionals supported with the tools to serve effectively.
Instead, many contend with outdated equipment, inadequate funding and uncertain career prospects.
These conditions slow innovation and encourage skilled professionals to leave.
Remuneration matters, certainly.
But opportunities to grow and knowing one's work is valued is also critical.
When experienced professionals leave, we lose more than talent.
We lose mentorship, institutional memory and the capacity to develop the next generation.
Beyond Billboards: Recognition Must Lead to Reform
Imagine a child in Accra seeing a Ghanaian scientist celebrated publicly and asking, "Who is that?" Imagine hearing a story of discovery, persistence and service.
That encounter could change a young life.
Our schools, media and institutions should tell these stories, including those of professionals whose achievements never make international headlines.
Let us honour them while they are alive.
But a billboard alone cannot sustain a scientific career.
A functioning laboratory, supportive mentor and reliable research funding can.
We need sustained investment in infrastructure, professional development and fair career progression.
We must connect research institutions with industry so discoveries become useful products, thriving enterprises and jobs.
Government, businesses, universities, financial institutions and the media all have responsibilities.
Equally important is a culture that respects professional dignity and well-being.
Every society teaches its children what to admire through the people it celebrates.
Ghana's future rests not only on natural resources or infrastructure, but on the creativity and expertise of its people.
Let us raise a generation that wants not merely to be famous, but to make a difference.
Scientists deserve better. Healthcare professionals deserve better.
Not because they matter more than others, but because their contributions matter too much to overlook.
A nation that honours knowledge and invests in its people invests in its own future.
Surely, that is the Ghana we should build.
The writer is a Food Scientist, Development Finance Practitioner & Entrepreneur
