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African governments should develop clear policies on science and technology and provide tax incentives that will support sustained economic growth.
This is according to Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Jean-Paul Adam.
Adam said innovation and technology are the catalyst of innovation, stating that there was need for African countries to upscale what they were doing in science and technology.
He said this during the official opening of the Fifth African Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum 2023, a side event ahead of upcoming Ninth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in Niamey, Niger.
This year theme will be held under Accelerating development and diffusion of emerging technologies”.
Read more: Africa must not miss out on digital economy, time to act is now —UNECA Secretary, Pedro
“African governments must have clear policies on science and technology, give tax incentives, and have measurable objectives in development plan for effective transition from a consumer Africa to producer Africa,” Adam said.
He said it was important to have human capital development linked to the diaspora to transform innovation in Africa and leverage the opportunity provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the same event, ECA Acting Executive Secretary Economic Commission Antonio Pedro, said African countries should invest in research and development to deliver sustainable industrialisation and economic diversification on the continent.
Pedro said this would enable the continent harness technology for a green, inclusive and resilient Africa.
“To build on the innovative spirit, we need to strengthen the enabling environment through informed policies, increase investment in the research and development and harness the support of the private sector more effectively,” he said.
Pedro added that Africa should be at the forefront of a green transformation to accelerate growth, diversify economies and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.
“One key opportunity for us lies in the renewable energy market. The value in this market in 2020 was estimated at US$881.7 billion and is projected to reach US$1,977.6 billion by 2030,” he said.
Pedro indicated that ECA and its partners have completed the STI Policy Design and Implementation Guide, which countries can use irrespective of the policy implementation cycle.
Niger Minister for Secondary and Higher Education, Research and Technology Habi Mahamadou said Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) was a cross cutting theme that depends on policy framework, education, and infrastructure.
“The biggest challenge of STI in Africa was the lack of human and technology capacity. Countries need to strengthen their capacity in the field of science, technology and innovation,” Mahamadou said.
He said that even though STI is key in the achievement of Africa’s development agenda 2063 and SDG agenda 2030, African governments are still lagging behind in their commitment to STI.
STI, he said, can only be accelerated by human capital infrastructure development.
UNESCO Regional Office for West Africa Director Dimitri Sanga said to have open science in Africa, there is need to promote open access to publications and to scientific data, have transparency of peer review, and the participatory science.
“UNESCO has developed the recommendation on open science. This recommendation was adopted by Member States in 2021 and we are currently working with Member States for its implementation,” he said.
“I am optimistic about the results of our work, which should contribute fully to enable Africa to be a resilient, green and prosperous continent,” Sanga said.
African Union Commissioner (AUC) for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohamed Belhocine said to address the challenges women face in education, AUC has a development plan on women education to encourage more girls undertake STEM education.
“The Heads of state have agreed to adopt the theme of education as theme for 2024 AU summit,” he said.
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