POLITICAL COMMITMENT AS A CRITICAL INGREDIENT FOR AND DRIVER OF A WORKABLE STI POLICY IN AFRICA: THE EXPERIENCE FROM NIGERIA

ByWale Olaopa, Ayo Oyewale, Wumi Hassan &

Willie SiyanbolaPaper Presented at the

2012 Eu-SPRI ConferenceHeld in

Karlsruhe, GermanyJune 12 – 13, 2012

OUTLINE

• INTRODUCTION

•THE CONCEPT OF ‘POLITICAL COMMITMENT’ - IS IT IMPORTANT?

• POLITICAL COMMITMENT: THE CASE OF NIGERIA’S STI POLICY

•TAKING CONSCIOUS ACTIONS TO BUILD POLITICAL COMMITMENT AS A KEY STEP IN FORMULATING STI POLICY IN AFRICA

•ARE THERE BLUEPRINTS OR APPROACHES THAT HAVE PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN BUILDING/MEASURING POLITICAL COMMITMENT?

• CONCLUSIONS AND RCOMMENDATIONS

• INTEREST IN R&D AND STI POLICY RESEARCH IS INCREASING AMONG MAINSTREAM POLITICIANS– WHY

• NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH & GOVERNANCE

• SOME COUNTRIES PERFORMED BETTER IN EXPLOITING TECHNOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES THAN OTHERS

– DUE TO UTILISATION OF EFFECTIVE POLICY PROGRAMMES

– POLITICAL INTERVENTIONS

Despite this• POLICY-MAKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS STILL

RELY ONLY ON THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF POLICY FORMULATION PROCESS

INTRODUCTION

• POLITICAL COMMITMENT/SUPPORT IS DEFINED BROADLY TO INCLUDE MUCH MORE THAN JUST SENIOR GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS.

• IT IMPLIES THE SUPPORT OF A BROAD RANGE OF CIVIL AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY TO A GIVEN POLICY

• INCLUDES PUBLIC SECTOR, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, NGOS, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL CITIZENS AT NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS

BY IMPLICATION, IT MEANS:• THE CREATION OF A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ANY

POLICY AND PROGRAMS (STI INCLUSIVE); • NOT ONLY THE FORMULATION OF APPROPRIATE POLICIES

AND THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BUT ALSO THE MOBILIZATION OF A BROAD POLITICAL CONSENSUS THAT SUCH POLICY AND PROGRAMS ARE NECESSARY FOR THE WELL-BEING OF SOCIETY (USAID, 2000)

POLITICAL COMMITMENT/SUPPORT: IS

IT IMPORTANT?

• IT IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY POLICY OR PROGRAMS

• PARTICULARLY IN STI TO HARNESS AND UTILISE SOCIETAL ENDOWMENTS

• SOLVE AND ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES (ESPECIALLY, THOSE ITEMS OF THE MDGS

POLITICAL COMMITMENT/SUPPORT: IS

IT IMPORTANT?

LOCATION: Longitude 3°& 15°ELatitude 4° & 14° N

LAND AREA: 910,768 sq km

POPULATION: Over 140 million

POLITICAL COMMITMENT: THE CASE OF NIGERIA’S STI

POLICY

POLITICAL COMMITMENT: THE CASE OF NIGERIA’S STI

POLICY• GAPS IDENTIFIED IN PREVIOUS S&T POLICIES INCLUDE

» LIMITED STAKEHOLDERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS» INADEQUATE PROMOTION OF S&T CULTURE» NON-HARMONISATION OF S&T POLICY WITH OTHER SOCIO-

ECONOMIC POLICIES» A BIT UNWIELDY AND RATHER VOLUMINOUS, MORE OF A

COMPENDIUM OF S&T SUB-SECTORAL POLICIES» LACK INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK» ISSUES OF STANDARDIZATION, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT NOT ADDRESSED

• MOST IMPORTANTLY - THE LACK OF POLITICAL COMMITMENT TO THE FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONTENTS OF THE POLICY DOCUMENT

RESOLVING THE CHALLENGES IN THE REVISED STI POLICY ‘INNOVATION’ INCLUDED IN POLICY FOR THE 1ST TIME

SHIFT IN FOCUS FROM KNOWLEDGE GENERATION ALONE TO UTILISATION

PARTICIPATORY (BOTTOM-UP) APPROACH INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT FMST AND AGENCIES/COGNATE MINISTRIES ACADEMIA: CVC, ACADEMIES: NAS, NAE PRIVATE SECTOR: MAN, LCCI THE MILITARY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS: UNESCO, UNDP, UNIDO

POLITICAL COMMITMENT - STAKEHOLDERS PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT TO THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY, GIVEN THEIR INVOLVEMENT

RESOLVING THE CHALLENGES IN THE REVISED STI POLICY THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL COMMITMENT IS

CONSPICUOUSLY WRITTEN AND AFFIRMED BY MR. PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT AS ESPOUSED IN THE RECENTLY APPROVED NATIONAL STI POLICY WHERE HE POSITED THAT:

“WE ARE GOING TO RUN OUR ECONOMY BASED ON SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY….BECAUSE THERE IS NOWHERE IN THIS WORLD NOW THAT YOU CAN MOVE YOUR ECONOMY WITHOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS WE WILL EMPHASIZE SO MUCH ON S&T BECAUSE WE HAVE NO CHOICE, WITHOUT THAT WE ARE JUST DREAMING….”

• MOVING FROM COMMITMENT TO ACTION: RESULTS

• EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR S&T HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

• INTEGRATION OF STI INDICATORS• PROVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL

FRAMEWORK FOR STI GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

• ESTABLISHMENT OF – NATIONAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION COUNCIL– STATE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

COUNCIL– NATIONAL COUNCIL ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND INNOVATION– NATIONAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FUND –

(ELABORATE FUNDING MECHANISM)

RESOLVING THE CHALLENGES IN THE REVISED STI POLICY

CONSCIOUS EFFORTS AT BUILDING POLITICAL COMMITMENT INCLUDES:

• MAKING STRONG POSITIVE STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF STI BY LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS

• SUPPORTING STATEMENT WITH CONCRETE AND TANGIBLE ACTIONS

– SUCH ITEMS AS THE EXISTENCE OF A NATIONAL POLICY, STRATEGIC PLAN, OR HIGHLY PLACED GOVERNMENT PROGRAM AS QUANTIFIABLE INDICATORS OF ACTIONS FROM THE POLITICAL LEADERS

• SUBJECTING STI POLICY, ENGAGEMENTS AND PRACTICES TO THE DICTATES, SUPPORTS AND JUDGMENTS OF ITS ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS, EXPERTS AND/OR A PANEL OF KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS AS COMPOSITE INDICATOR

CONSCIOUS EFFORTS OF POLITICAL

COMMITMENT

• NOOOOOO!• AND WHY ARE THEY INEFFECTIVE?

• MOST OF THE REASONS FOR THE INEFFECTIVENESS IDENTIFIED BY USAID (2000) ARE

• STATEMENTS MADE BY LEADERS USUALLY ENTAILS COUNTING THE NO OF POSITIVE STATEMENTS MADE BY NATIONAL LEADERS AS REPORTED IN NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS SUFFERS FROM SEVERAL PROBLEMS :

» THE NUMBER OF STATEMENTS OFTEN IS RELATED MORE TO SPECIAL EVENTS THAN TO COMMITMENT

» LEADERS MAY SUPPORT PROGRAMS VERBALLY BUT THEN FAIL TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ACTION

HAVE THESE ACTIONS/EFFORTS/APPROACHES EFFECTIVE IN MEASURING

POLITICAL COMMITMENT?

• QUANTIFIABLE INDICATORS OF ACTIONS (SUCH AS THE EXISTENCE OF A NATIONAL POLICY, ADEQUATE FUNDING SYSTEM, STRATEGIC PLAN, OR HIGHLY PLACED GOVERNMENT PROGRAM) ARE EASY TO TRACK, BUT THEY SUFFER SOME SHORTCOMINGS– THEY PROVIDE LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALITY

OF THE STI POLICY, PLAN, OR PROGRAM– THEY MEASURES AN ASPECT OF POLITICAL COMMITMENT

(FUNDING) THAT IS EASY TO MEASURE.– FUNDING CAN BE TRACKED OVER TIME AND COMPARED

ACROSS COUNTRIES, INFORMATION ON FUNDING CAN BE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN

– FUNDING FOR STI IN SOME COUNTRIES OR STATES OFTEN INCLUDE DONOR FUNDS

– STI FUNDS SPREAD 0VER SEVERAL MINISTRIES LIKE EDUCATION, HEALTH, INDUSTRY

– DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE STI PROPORTION OF SUCH ITEMS AS SALARY COSTS, FACILITIES, ETC. WITHIN NATIONAL EXPENDITURES.

HAVE THESE ACTIONS/EFFORTS/APPROACHES EFFECTIVE IN MEASURING

POLITICAL COMMITMENT?

• SUBJECTING STI POLICY, ENGAGEMENTS AND PRACTICES TO THE DICTATES, SUPPORTS AND JUDGMENTS OF ITS ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS, EXPERTS AND/OR A PANEL OF KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS COULD PROVIDE A COMPOSITE INDICATOR.

• IT ASSESSES ALL ASPECTS OF POLITICAL COMMITMENT BUT:

– SINCE IT RELIES ON THE JUDGMENTS OF THE DIFFERENTLY SELECTED RESPONDENTS WITH CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN THEIR RESPONSES

» THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MEASURE AND DETERMINE ITS PATTERNS OVER TIME

HAVE THESE ACTIONS/EFFORTS/APPROACHES EFFECTIVE IN MEASURING

POLITICAL COMMITMENT?

• POLITICAL COMMITMENT CAN BE MEASURED BY SEVERAL APPROACHES – NONE OF THEM SEEM TO BE EFFECTIVE

AND PERFECT

– QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES FOCUS ON SINGLE MANIFESTATION OF COMMITMENT

– THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES RELY BASICALLY ON VALUE JUDGEMENT

– THE AMOUNT OF NATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTED TO STI PROGRAMS WOULD BE A GOOD INDICATOR PROVIDED THAT ADEQUATE INFORMATION ARE READILY AVAILABLE.

ARE THERE BLUEPRINTS/APPROACHES

THAT ARE EFFECTIVE IN MEASURING POLITICAL

COMMITMENT?

• REASONS FOR MEASURING POLITICAL COMMITMENT:

• TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER CURRENT LEVELS OF

COMMITMENT ARE ADEQUATE OR NOT 

• TO INDICATE THE AREAS WHERE COMMITMENT ARE STRONG AND WHERE THEY ARE WEAK

• TO MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE IN POLITICAL COMMITMENT IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND TRENDS AND WHETHER ACTIVITIES HAVE HAD AN IMPACT (USAID, 2000)

DOES THIS MEAN MEASURING POLITICAL COMMITMENT IS

NOT IMPORTANT?

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• THE INADEQUACIES THAT CHARACTERISED THE MEASUREMENT OF POLITICAL COMMITMENT NOTWITHSTANDING– A FOCUS ON POLITICAL COMMITMENT WOULD BE MORE USEFUL

IN DRIVING ANY DEVELOPMENT-LED (STI INCLUSIVE) POLICY THAN SIMPLE EXHORTATIONS FOR ADHERENCE TO THEORETICAL STAGES OF PUBLIC POLICY MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION

– THE PERFORMANCE OR EFFECTIVENESS OF ANY PUBLIC POLICY IS DEPENDENT ON ITS FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES, WHICH ARE FUNCTIONS OF THE COMPLEX NETWORKS OF POLITICAL BARGAINING, LOBBYING OR ‘ADVOCACY’ AND COMPROMISES AMONGST NATIONAL AND LOCAL POLITICAL ELITES

– THEREFORE, FOR EFFECTIVE STI POLICY, BUILDING POLITICAL COMMITMENT THROUGH BROAD PARTICIPATION IN THE POLICY PROCESS IS A CRITICAL FACTOR– THE MORE THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE ENGAGED IN POLICY DIALOGUE,

PLANNING, AND EVALUATION, THE GREATER THE CHANCES FOR AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO THE UTILISATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH POLICY

BRIEF ABOUT NACETEM

• The National Centre for Technology ManagementThe National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) (NACETEM) – Established by the Federal Government of Nigeria under UNESCO Established by the Federal Government of Nigeria under UNESCO

initiatives in September 1992 as a Parastatal of the Federal Ministry initiatives in September 1992 as a Parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and was cited in the Obafemi Awolowo of Science and Technology, and was cited in the Obafemi Awolowo UniversityUniversity

• MissionMission– To play a leading role in the build-up of expertise for effective To play a leading role in the build-up of expertise for effective

Science, Technology and Innovation Management and to actively Science, Technology and Innovation Management and to actively engage in Policy Research, Design, Evaluation and Reviewengage in Policy Research, Design, Evaluation and Review

• Vision Vision – To be an internationally recognised Centre of Excellence in Science To be an internationally recognised Centre of Excellence in Science

Technology and Innovation Management for sustainable Technology and Innovation Management for sustainable developmentdevelopment

Website: www.nacetem.org

MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF NACETEM

• Policy-Oriented Research Policy-Oriented Research

• Manpower DevelopmentManpower Development

• ConsultancyConsultancy

Website: www.nacetem.org

ACTIVITIES OF NACETEM (CONTD)

POLICY-ORIENTED

RESEARCH

POLICY APPRAISAL

POLICY FORMULATION POLICY REVIEW

Website: www.nacetem.org

ACTIVITIES OF NACETEM (CONTD)

TRAINING

WORKSHOPS &

CONFERENCES

PGD PROGRAMME SHORT-TERM COURSES

Website: www.nacetem.org

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!