Africa needs to invest in science, technology and innovation

Margaret J. Kamar Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Kenya (Photo by Arsenio Manhice) By VIOLET MENGO (Zambia) The first African Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)taking place in Nairobi, Kenya has highlighted the need to invest in this key sector to foster sustainable growth and development and provide job opportunities for youth and women. And African countries have been called upon to embrace and utilise relevant science, technology and creatively innovate to ensure viable development. Speaking at the official opening of the conference, Kenyan Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Margaret Kamar said African countries will only be able to effectively confront some of the pressing challenges of development when STI is effectively utilised. “The problems of youth unemployment, inadequacies in human capital development and inclusive growth will be achieved when we (Africans) take seriously STIs,” Ms Kamar said. The Forum is an African initiative and looks at achievements made in this domain across the continent, highlighting best practices and policies. It also seeks to strengthen North-South and South-South cooperation, partnerships between the private and public sectors and cooperation between institutions of higher education. The conference is sponsored by UNESCO with the African Union Commission (AU), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the Kenyan Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology. Ms Karmar said the conference is going to provide an excellent opportunity to share experiences especially best practices from all over the world, on science, technology and innovation policies, strategies and mechanisms. The STI is an African initiative aimed at raising importance of science and technologies among policy makers, private sector, schools and society in general. The Kenyan minister said promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship; especially those which have greatest potential for effective creation of youth employment should be encouraged on the continent. “We will hear of measures that have successfully harnessed science, technology and innovation to enhance the participation of women, youth and other marginalised groups in societies,” she said. She said all these will create an informed and enabling environment for African countries to make urgent decisions on the importance of investment in STI. Participants include experts, scientists, decision makers, youth, academics, representatives of the private sector and civil society. Among some of the subjects tackled include the need for graduates to have the skills required by employers, how funding can be increased for African research and development, and innovative ways to improve youth employment. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) director, ICT science and technology Division Aida Opoku Mensah said If Africa has to continue registering positive economic growth, there is a need to address Africa’s innovation system. “A critical foundation of any innovation system is education and investing in its youth,” Mr Mensah said. This is because education system plays a vital role in human development and entrepreneurship Mr Mensah said competitions that cultivate in students enquiry and problem-solving skills and encourage them to address real life challenges should be encouraged. According to UNESCO's Science Report 2010, research and development (R&D) in Africa attracts significantly less public funding than other sectors such as education or health. Only some 0.3% of GDP is dedicated to R&D on average across the continent. This is seven times less than the investment made in industrialised countries. The Report shows that education is another obstacle. Access to higher education remains limited, and in 2008 enrolment was below 4 percent in one country out of four. Additionally, the report states that brain drain is severely affecting the continent: in 2009, the Network of African Science Academies estimated that at least one-third of Africa's scientists and technology graduates were living and working in developed countries. ENDS