African Academy For Science (AAS), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), amongst other stakeholders, Monday, called on the African continent, to invest more on female education to increase the numbers of female scientists in the African ecosystem. 

The Executive Director UNFPA, Dr. Natalia Kanem, made this call in Abuja, at the 15th Bi-Annual General Assembly and Scientific Conference of the African Academy of Sciences held in Abuja with the theme: “Empowering and Advancing Africa’s Scientific Enterprise.” 
Dr. Kanem, who was represented by the  UNFPA Secretary in Nigeria, Nathaniel Nau,  stated that Africa needs to invest more on the girl child education so that we can have more female scientists.

“We need urgent investment in education, particularly girl education, access to healthcare, youth employment, entrepreneurship, and we believe that AAS can contribute greatly to that.
Speaking further he said, “ From its humble beginning in the 1980s, the African Academy of Science has grown into a leading pan-African institution, nurturing the next generation of African scientists.

“The AAS has established itself as a vital community of science and scholars whose work align with and significantly contribute to key aspects of UNFPA mission, that is to ensure that no woman dies while giving birth, that pregnancies remain a choice, not a chance, and that there is no gender-based violence to women and girls.”

President Bola Tinubu while declaring the conference open urged African countries to harness the power of technology to transform the continent.

The president was represented by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, said, “Let us harness the power of science to transform our society, uplift our economies, and improve the quality of life for all Africans.
Original article written by Binta Shama and published in Blueprint