NAN-H-105
Africa
By Tolu Aiyegbusi
Abuja, Feb. 21, 2018 (NAN) Dr Ahmed Hamdy, the Executive Director, African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU- STRC), has charged AU member states to accelerate Africa to a knowledge based and innovation led economy.
Hamdy made the call during a meeting between the AU- STRC and a 15-member delegation of African Diplomatic Group on Wednesday in Abuja.
The executive director of the AU- STRC said that Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) were very vital in achieving sustainable development in Africa.
He told the 15 member state delegation that the commission needed to achieve the implementation of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA- 2024).
He said the commission was committed to implementing the STISA- 2024 at all levels of the AU member states.
“ The STISA- 2024 is one of the core functions of the AU-STRC and it is very important to implement the several programmes and projects contained in the policy manual.
“ The STISA-2024 was developed and endorsed by the assembly of head of states and governments in June 2014 and it outlines the key socio economic priority areas that Africa has to collectively address through scientific research and development,’’ he said.
Hamdy also urged the government of each member state to contribute more resources to the advancement and sustainability of STI in their countries.
“Governments are indulged to avail more resources to Science, Information and Technology (STI) for its sustainability and growth.
“ The government should also identify mechanisms that will enhance the participation of the private sector of their countries in order to achieve the one per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) allocation for STI,’’he said.
High Commissioner of Sierra Leon, Alfred Nelson, who chaired the meeting emphasised the need to move Africa as a continent into a new era of possibilities within the realms of STI.
Ambassador of Burundi, Emmanuel Mpfayokurera reiterated the need for member states to explore technologies that would place Africa in the fore front of the global economy.
At the conclusion of the meeting it was agreed that for any economy to advance and prosper, it had to prioritise STI as elaborated by the executive director of AU- STRC who hosted the delegation.
NAN reports that the Science Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA 2024), which is also referred to as the bible of the AU Science Policy, is a policy analysis that was adopted by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Governments in June 2014.
STISA-2024 outlines the key socio-economic priority areas that Africa has to collectively address through scientific research and development.
It is the first of 10-year incremental phasing strategies that responds to the demand for STI across various socio-economic and development sectors by embedding STI into these sectors.
The meeting was attended by ambassadors and representatives from Burundi, Central African Republic, D R Congo, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda. (NAN)
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Edited by Grace Yussuf