Africa ( Commonwealth Union ) _ According to Antonio Pedro, acting executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, investing in research and development by African nations will result in the industrialization and economic diversification of the continent in a sustainable manner (ECA). As a result, Africa will be able to utilize technology for a resilient, inclusive, and green continent. During the Fifth African Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Forum 2023’s inauguration in Niemey, Niger, Mr. Pedro was promoting the upcoming 9th Africa Regional Conference on Sustainable Development (ARFSD).“Accelerating development and diffusion of emerging technologies” is the focus of this year’s Forum.
The ECA executive secretary highlighted that Africa should be at the forefront of a green transformation to accelerate growth, diversify economies, and fulfill the SDGs and Agenda of 2063. The ECA executive secretary further added that in order to “ build on the innovative spirit, we need to strengthen the enabling environment through informed policies, increase investment in research and development, and harness the support of the private sector more effectively”
The market for renewable energy is one significant potential for us. By 2030, this market’s worth, which was anticipated to be $881.7 billion in 2020, is expected to reach $1,977.6 billion. The executive secretary further claimed that regardless of the cycle of policy implementation, countries can adopt the STI Policy Design and Implementation Guide that ECA and its partners have developed.
Habi Mahamadou, Minister of Secondary and Higher Education, Research, and Technology in Niger has said that Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) is a cross-cutting subject that depends on the policy framework, education system, and infrastructure.
The major problem with STI in Africa is a lack of technological and human resources. According to Mahamadou, nations must increase their ability for innovation, research, and technology. Notwithstanding the fact that STI is essential to achieving the SDG agenda 2030 and the Africa 2063 development agenda, he claimed that African governments are still trailing behind in their commitment to STI. The only way to speed up STI, according to him, is to enhance the human capital infrastructure.
Science and technology, according to Jean-Paul Adam, ECA Director for Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Management, are the drivers of innovation. Thus, it is critical that nations expand on their current efforts in science and technology in relation to Africa.The outcomes of the two-day STI side event will be incorporated into the work of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, which will get underway in Niamey, Niger, on February 28th and run through March 2nd.
