Follow Us on Google
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has urged African countries to harness the power of technology to transform the continent.
The president gave this charge on Tuesday at the 15th Bi-Annual General Assembly and Scientific Conference of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), held in Abuja, with the theme: “Empowering and Advancing Africa’s Scientific Enterprise.”
The President was represented by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji.
Speaking through Nnaji, President Tinubu said: “Let us harness the power of science to transform our society, uplift our economies, and improve the quality of life for all Africans.
“Together, we can build a future where scientific excellence is the hallmark of Africa’s development.”
In her remarks, the President of the AAS, Prof. Lise Korsten, said the Academy aspires to see the birth of Africa’s sustainable development through Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI).
Other News
“At the heart of our Academy lies a profound commitment to accelerating Africa’s sustainable development through science and innovation.
“Since 2015, the AAS, with a mandate from the African Union, has been working with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and other partners to drive sustainable development in Africa through STI.
“A recent review of the STISA 2024 noted that Africa has made commendable progress in scientific productivity, recording a 135% increase in the number of scientific publications, from 73,055 in 2014 to 171,576 in 2022.
“However, Africa’s scientific outputs in 2022 accounted for only 3.6% of the global output, with most of the publications produced through collaborations with researchers in the global north.
“These statistics highlight the need for more commitments and investments, not just to sustain the gains made but also to help bring Africa closer to the rest of the world in capacities for research and innovation.
“As Africa embarks on the next 10-year implementation period of its STI strategy (STISA-2034), the AAS avails itself of this opportunity to consolidate the gains made and continue advancing Africa’s research and innovation agenda.”
She pledged that the AAS would work to strengthen intra-Africa and international Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) partnerships to build African capacities for STI diplomacy and leadership with scientific productivity.
