the african academy of sciences driving scientific and technological innovation in africa

The African Academy of SciencesDriving Scientific and Technological Innovation in Africa

Driving Scientific and Technological Innovation in Africa

Established in 1985

Think Tank Initiative Learning Events in Africa, 19 May 2014, Nairobi, Kenya

The African Academy of SciencesDriving Scientific and Technological Innovation in Africa

The Politics of Knowledge in Africa and the Role of research and Evidence in Policy making.

By:Benji Apraku Gyampoh, PhD

[email protected]; @AASciences

Presentation Outline

• Introduction • The Politics of Knowledge in Africa• Role of research in policy making• Some lessons learnt• Suggestions for capacity building• Conclusions


“We shall accumulate machinery and establish steel works, iron foundries and factories; we shall link the various states of our Continent with communications; we shall astound the world with our hydroelectric power; we shall drain marshes and swamps, clear infested areas, feed the undernourished, and rid our people of parasites and disease. It is within the possibility of science and technology to make even the Sahara bloom into a vast field with verdant vegetation for agricultural and industrial developments”.

President Kwame Nkrumah, first speech at the foundation summit of the Organization of African Union, Addis Ababa, 24 May 1963


Introduction

• How would Africa implement Nkrumah’s vision?• What is needed?

– The right policies– The right infrastructure

• What will inform these policies?– Quality and Relevant Research Evidence?


The Politics of Knowledge in Africa – Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic Development of Africa,

1980–2000; 1980• Following The Monrovia Declaration, 1979 ,to hold of an Extraordinary Session to

consider economic problems facing Africa;

• African governments should commit 1% GDP to R&D

– Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA); adopted by African ministers of S&T in 2005; endorsed by AU heads of state and government in 2006

• Establishment of AOSTI, ASTII

– Addis Ababa Declaration on Science Technology and Scientific Research for Development, 2007

– Nairobi ministerial declaration, 2012• STI for youth Employment , Human capital Development and Inclusive Growth.


• Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), 2014 – 2024. Three legal instruments to help with implementation:– The African Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation

(AOSTI) for monitoring and evaluation; – The Pan-African Intellectual Property Organisation (PAIPO) for

safeguarding intellectual property rights– The African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (ASRIC)

as an umbrella organisation of academics from all AU member states to mobilise the day-to-day management of the STISA implementation and provide a link between continental and national implementation

Now comes STISA


Science Academies in AFRICA• About 20 science academies in Africa

– Including the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)

• General Roles– The scientific eyes of the society

– Provide impartial, credible, science and technology-based assessments of issues

– Guide policy makers in making informed decisions in science and technology for sustainable development

• NB: Close enough to government to work with it but far enough not to lose its ability to think professionally and independently


The African Academy of Sciences


VisionTo be a MAJOR player in driving sustainable development in Africa throughScience, Technology and Innovation (ST&I)

MissionTo mobilize the entire African science and technology community for sustainabledevelopment

Africa’s Agenda 2063

“An Integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a

dynamic force in the global arena”

• Surely, things must be done differently to take advantage of the current momentum towards 2063


Role of Research in Policy Making

Poverty Health

Population growth and UrbanizationProductivity

The threats of climate change


Role of research in policy making

“Sustaining Africa’s strong growth over the longer term while significantly reducing poverty and strengthening people’s resilience to adversity

Enablers• Boost in Agricultural

production and food security

• Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)

Reducing Poverty

Role of Research• Developing improved crop varieties• Better Farming Practices; mechanisation• Commodities diversification• Pest and disease management• Providing access to safe drinking water• Improved data management; statistical

capacity to better track changes• Biotechnology• Translating growth into poverty reduction• Demonstrating quality with relevance



Addressing the challenge of a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases over the next 50 years. AfDB, 2013

Enablers• Improved healthcare• Safe drinking water• Improved sanitation• Improved nutritional

wellbeing

Better health

Role of Research• Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria, NCDs, etc• Providing safe water• Developing new vaccines and medicines• Addressing increasing rate of non-

communicable diseases• Training of human resources• Developing health infrastructure• Innovation in healthcare delivery: e-health• Improved nutrition• Addressing Impact of climate change on

health



“Sustaining Africa’s strong growth over the longer term while controlling our population and ensuring improved urbanisation

Enablers• Right Policies• Education• Appropriate

infrastructure

Controlling Population Growth and Improve Urbanisation

Role of Research• Addressing rapid uncontrolled urbanization• Affordable housing and urban planning • Provision of adequate sanitation, water

and healthcare facilities, • Environmental, physical and societal

challenges related to planning settlements• Engineering: design of roads and bridges,

water and sewer systems • Telecommunications networks



“Sustaining Africa’s strong growth over the longer term by increasing productivity and reducing all factors that limit productivity

Enablers• Right Policies• Relevant research• Increasing energy

production• Efficient energy use

Increased Productivity

Role of Research• Technology for developing energy resources• Impact of diseases on productivity• Measures to raise productivity industry• Reducing losses due to Malaria incapacitated

labor; estimated to be $12 billion annually• Increased technology use and innovation • Improving skills and institutional capacity to

support productivity



“Sustaining Africa’s strong growth over the longer term in the face of changing climate and increased climatic variability and its impacts

Enablers• Improved

understanding of the impact of climate change

• Right Policies

Addressing the impacts of climate change

Role of Research• Improved understanding of climate change• Adaptation studies: opportunities, risks• Rainwater harvesting technologies• Technology for sound environmental

management• Developing low emission technology • Capacity to control imports and exports of

wastes into and within Africa. • Developing adaptation and mitigation

strategies


Some Lessons Learnt


• Relatively small (at around 2% of the world total), but growing rapidly, with a growth rate similar to that of India, China and Brazil between 2005 and 2010.

• How infrequently African countries collaborate—only 4.3% of the papers in 2008-2010 included intra-African collaboration, contrasting with a score of 40% for extra-African collaboration between at least one African and one non-African country.

• Overall, the trend of science and technology improvement in the African Union is quite promising

Scientific Output in the Africa Union


Growth of African scientific output, 2005-2010 (1)

Very tangible growth observed everywhere in Africa

Source: Computed by Science-Metrix using the Scopus database (Elsevier)

Country / Group 2005-2010 2005-2007 2008-2010 % Increase2008-2010 / 2005-2007

Growth Index

World 10,055,974 4,619,523 5,436,451 18% 1.00

African Union 181,454 74,629 106,825 43% 1.22

Community of Sahelo-Saharan States 108,575 43,507 65,068 50% 1.27

South African Development Community 61,778 27,006 34,772 29% 1.09

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa 60,239 24,357 35,882 47% 1.25

Arab Maghreb Union 42,836 16,461 26,375 60% 1.36

Economic Community of West African States 32,456 13,117 19,339 47% 1.25

Intergovernmental Authority on Development 15,237 6,248 8,989 44% 1.22

East African Community 13,688 5,759 7,929 38% 1.17

Economic Community of Central African States 5,239 2,343 2,896 24% 1.05


Growth of African scientific output, 2005-2010 (2)

Cumulative growth is similar to that of fastest growing countries

Source: Computed by Science-Metrix using the Scopus database (Elsevier)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Cum

ulati

ve g

row

th

Year

India

China

Brazil

African Union

Rep. of Korea

Australia

Spain

Netherlands

Switzerland

Italy


What needs extra effort?

• How to link science, technology and innovation to poverty reduction, job creation, sustainable livelihoods and the improved well-being of citizens.

• As countries engage in knowledge intensive activities, how will Africa expand its knowledge?

• Supporting prudent policy formulation and research agenda that addresses economic and social challenges.

• How to develop relevant STI indicators that can be used in formulating policies

• Building quality and relevant capacity and competencies to ensure development of research-based policies

Suggestions for Capacity Building

Exploring new partnerships and mechanisms for supporting integrated trans-disciplinary research

and capacity building activities



• Sustainable capacity building is a long-term intervention– Do a major audit of the capacity developing establishments such

as higher educational and research establishments - to ensure that they are producing the specialized knowledge and skills needed for the continent’s development.

• CIRCLE - Climate Impact Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement– AAS, ACU, DFID collaboration – ca 100 research fellowship in trans-disciplinary fields. – An intra-African collaboration of early career African scholars

and various home and host institutions



• Developing intra-African cooperation– collaboration between African and North scientists resulting in

papers published in high impact factor journals is important– A real measure of capacity building for the African collaborators

must take into consideration an appreciation of researches and publications where the Africans are leaders and not followers

– Africa based researchers who are global leaders must be supported to promote trans-national collaboration in Africa



• The challenge of poverty in numbers, data and information– Training (both short and long term) of more personnel per

country to create a critical mass of experts to undertake surveys– Institutionalise R&D surveys and innovation surveys, creating a

culture of collecting and archiving statistics, and especially STI statistics, at national level.

– Encourage dialogue among countries to share best practices– Encourage regular interaction between scientists and policy

makers – Research data must be translated into easily comprehensible

information for effective dissemination



• Inspiring and stimulating African youth– Africa is the most youthful continent with more than 50% of its

population under 25 years of Age. – It is estimated that by 2040 Africa will have the largest and the

youngest global workforce. – More initiatives needed that are targeted to inspire and

stimulate the youth to be involved in quality and relevant research that breeds .innovation


Conclusions

• Research finding its way into influencing policies is a science and an art. It is not an event but a long term intervention that needs careful planning, resourcing and strategizing

• Quality and Relevant Research is what can influence policy.

• Research uptake must be part of every research design and possible uptake stakeholders involved from the onset


Thank you


the african academy of sciences driving scientific and technological innovation in africa

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