Africa still needs enhanced and sustained initiatives to build a pool of diverse skills that are necessary to harness the power of science, technology and innovation (STI), which, in turn, can drive the continent’s development agenda, experts say.

Speaking during a round-table discussion that preceded the launch of the African Academy of Sciences’ (AAS) five-year strategic plan, the experts, drawn from academia as well as the public and private sectors, said STI remains the key driver of Africa’s sustainable development, but inadequate skills inhibit its potential.

“We have the youngest population in the world and this should help us build unique, diverse skills ... We need to reinforce the development of PhDs and the training of post-doctoral researchers ... We need a skills revolution in Africa underpinned by STI,” said Lise Korsten, president of the AAS.

The academy’s 2023-27 strategic plan will leverage science to tackle Africa’s economic challenges and needs across policy and governance terrains, as well as in the areas of the natural sciences, environmental and climate change, health and well-being, social sciences and humanities.

According to the plan, the academy strives to enhance capacity-building through a growth and learning culture that attracts and retains the best talent of Africa to promote science acculturation and harness opportunities for open science.

Recruiting academics in the diaspora

Korsten says the academy is embarking on a drive to recruit African-born scientists residing abroad who demonstrate prowess in the development and application of science in Africa into its fellowship so as to enhance the skills availability on the continent.

In the quest to build partnerships that will transform STI in Africa, the academy seeks long-term global and continental partnerships, including with pan-African stakeholders and African governments.

Furthermore, the academy is set on supporting STI research and knowledge sharing by supporting the best scientists to do research through relevant programmes that address developmental gaps.

Similarly, the academy seeks to strengthen African institutions to become excellent and adaptable to the continent’s needs and to translate science into innovative products, policies and practices.

Sustainable development

According to AAS executive director, Peggy Oti-Boateng, the new strategic plan is aligned to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

She says the academy seeks to tap into opportunities in science diplomacy, climate financing and digital transformation by using science diplomacy for peace-building and international cooperation, mobilising climate finance for African nations to adapt to climate change and transition to clean energy sources and lead initiatives in artificial intelligence, big-data science and cyber security so as to drive digitalisation in Africa.

“The roadmap crystallises our aspirations, charting a path laced with rigorous evaluation and [the] unwavering pursuit of knowledge. As we execute this plan, our collective vigilance in continuous monitoring and evaluation will prove indispensable, safeguarding the alignment of actions with the esteemed values of the AAS,” said Oti-Boateng.

The strategy’s situation analysis posits that, despite progress towards enhancing Africa’s research and innovation landscape, its scientific output is limited, while it carries 25% of the world’s disease burden. The continent has only about 125 researchers to one million people, the strategy says, which is far from the global average of 1,368 per million and 4,069 per million in the European Union.

“These worrying statistics confirm the need for more commitments and investments in science in Africa. Such investments will not only sustain the gains made, but also help move Africa closer to the rest of the world in terms of capacities for research and innovation,” the strategy outlines.

Equal access to knowledge

The AAS calls for interventions to advance STI, including investment in science infrastructure and the application of STI in national development across the continent.

Oti-Boateng says the roadmap adopted by AAS in this strategic plan is outlined to monitor progress and assess impact, as successful implementation of the plan will enable AAS to assert its pan-African leadership ‘think tank’ advisory role in science and propel scientific research for African development.

Peter Gluckman, the president of the International Science Council, said that, despite the huge prospects and opportunities in science for sustainable development, countries in the Global South are still not maximising the prospects of STI for development.

The use of science, he says, has been inhibited by the lack of trust shown by communities and politicians in science. He challenged the AAS to play an integral role in the science ecosystem by helping communities build trust in science and by building an intellectual body that will be the advisory body for the African Union.

Abou Amani, the director of the division of water sciences and secretary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme at UNESCO, called for the development of policies that promote open science and open access in Africa.

“Equal access to knowledge will enhance development. We need to mainstream an open science framework so that everyone can have access to scientific knowledge and to enhance evidence-based decision-making,” said Amani.

Original article written by Gilbert Nakweya and published in University World News.