2002

A Science Agenda
From An African
Perspective

Turner T. Isoun

ATPS SPECIAL PAPER SERIES No. 14

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network, P.O. Box 10081, 00100
General Post Office, Nairobi, Kenya.

© 2002 African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

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ABOUT THE AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKThe African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multi-disciplinary network of researchers,
policymakers, actors in the private sector and other end users interested in generating, promoting
and strengthening innovative science and technology policies in Africa. With a regional secretariate
in Nairobi, the network operates through national chapters in 17 countries, with an expansion plan tocover the entire sub-Saharan Africa.
One of the objectives of the network is to disseminate research results to policy makers, legislators,
the organized private sector, civil society, mass media and farmers’ groups through ppublications,dialogue and advocacy. Among its range of publications are the Working Paper Series (WPS), Research
Paper Series (RPS), Special Paper Series (SPS) and the Technopolicy Briefs.
Papers published under the ATPS Special Paper Series are those commissioned as concept
papers, think pieces, leading conference papers and keynote addresses. In keeping with
our knowledge brokerage function, ATPS publishes, with permission of the author(s) or
journal editors, papers (published or unpublished) produced by distinguished academics/
researchers for a different purpose but judged by ATPS to be of excellent quality. Thesepapers address significant policy questions relevant to the work of ATPS and/or support
the Southern voice or an African perspective. We also consider theoretical papers that
advance our knowledge of science and technology policy issues.
ATPS is supported by a growing number of donors including the International Development ResearchCentre (IDRC), the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank,
the OPEC Fund, Ford Foundation, Coca-Cola Eastern Africa, the African Development Bank, and theRoyal Dutch Government.

List of Abreviations
AAS
AU
ICIPE
ICTs
IITA
ILRI
IPRs
IRRI
IT
NEPAD
NGOs
NNPC
NYC
SMEs
S&T

The African Academy of Sciences
African Union
The International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology
Information and Communication Technologies
The Internal Institute for Tropical Agriculture
The International Livestock Research InstituteIntellectutal Property Rights
The International Rice Research Institute
Information Technology
New Partnership for African Development
Non-governmental Organizations
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company
New York City
Small and Medium Size Enterprises
Science and Technology

Table of Contents
1.

Introduction

1

2.

S&T in Africa: Context and Challenges

2

3.

The Current Landscape3

4.

A Science Agenda From An African Perspective

5

5.

Essential Elements For An African Science Agenda

7

6.

Can the Science Agenda Work for Africa? Initiatives and Action in Nigeria

14

7.

Final Comment

16

1.

Introduction

There is no doubt that there is a need to consider in an integrated way, economic, social andenvironmental issues in addressing the daunting task of laying the foundations for sustainable
development, and that this will require massive and diverse inputs from science and technology(S&T). At the same time, we in Africa know that S&T has contributed to some of our global as well as
regional and local problems (e.g. global warming, pollution and land and water degradation by the oiland gas industry; and replacing traditional food crops and farming methods with export products, forexample, have significantly degraded the environment and depleted food resources).
These negative effects of S&T are due partly to the fact that our Science and Technology agenda hasoften been ad hoc, and ‘provincial’ -more like ‘fire-fighting’ -or it has been non-existent. A new Scienceand Technology agenda for Africa must be comprehensive, geographically, as well as integrated
sectorally with sustainability objectives introduced consciously to maximize the benefits of S&T, andavoid introducing further economic, social and environmental problems for future generations. This
introductory presentation will suggest broad outlines of such an S&T agenda through which Africa
can address the sustainability issues facing us. Other presentations in these sessions will elaborate
on specific elements of the proposed agenda.

1

2.

S&T in Africa: Context and Challenges

Historical
The constraints to development in the past and to enabling sustainable development in the future
have been analysed adequately elsewhere -and generally include the colonisation and oppression
from outside and within the continent, slavery, and some perceived cultural and environmental
constraints. The history of the world, not only Africa, is replete with examples of reactionary andoppressive greedy political systems, regimes and demagogues. Let us not be detained by suchlamentations!
RecentIn recent times, Africa’s adoption of S&T has been constrained by the fact that science has beenpracticed and implemented by a select club. Even in Europe and America S&T is the preserve of 5%or less of their people- while the others are users. Africa has been almost entirely a consumer of the
products of S&T rather than a participant in creating knowledge, services and products.
Africa’s leaders have been constrained by their pre-occupation with the management of security,
defence, and poverty. There appears to be a broad acceptance of the insidious though false belief
that we are handicapped, and without the capacity to solve our own development problems. While
Indians who studied at home and outside, have been a major contributor to the San Francisco andBangalore Silicon valleys, our governments cannot find a way to get the African students who studied
alongside the Indians to use their cutting edge capacity to do the same for us.

2

3.

The Current Landscape

There has been some acquisition of S&T for solving the problems of Africa through the establishmentof educational and other research and development (R&D) institutions, but these successes havebeen limited in effectiveness and sustainability.
S&T in Education
During the colonial period, there were some secondary schools and universities that produced
African graduates who provided leadership in their fields of endeavour (Okrika Grammar School andKings College, Lagos; and the University of Ibadan and Makerere University, for example, produced
small numbers of highly selected well-trained graduates, mainly in the arts and social sciences). With
independence and recognition of the need for manpower in hard sciences, medicine and technology,
most countries expanded educational opportunities at the tertiary level; however:• Congo Brazzaville became independent when it had only 4 graduates- 40 years ago and• Other countries gained independence with just over 1,000 graduates
Nigeria now has 40 universities, and over 40 polytechnics. The number of graduates is now impressive
but their education does not give the required skills and capacity to solve the problems of development.
At the University of Ibadan and Okrika Grammar School mentioned earlier, for example, there are
now 10 times as many students enrolled as there were 40 years ago, but the standards have fallen to
unacceptable levels. Yet, poor quality secondary and first degree African graduates, are being exported;
Nigerians, like Asians, fill the graduate schools in the USA and subsequently make contributions at thehighest levels of academia and industry -while the majority of American nationals leave universities
after their first degrees, to join the workforce to make money as soon as possible!
S&T and R&D Institutions
Like the examples of the colonial universities, some of the colonial research institutes also operated
at high levels of research output and competence, and contributed significantly to R&D. The
International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), an African’ research institute, has had
sustainability problems, but has been an important landmark. In the past 40 years most of the national
institutions have lost excellence and output, and now function at unacceptable levels. At the sametime, some international institutes sited in Africa, for example, the International Livestock ResearchInstitute (ILRI) and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have continued to do well,3

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ATPS SPECIAL PAPER SERIES N O. 14

but they employ their own people and spend their own money -providing no less than 10 times thelevel of funding of African national research institutes.
The R&D exposure given to Africans in all of these institutions has not spilled over for the most part; it
has not ensured the existence of a sustainable critical mass of research scientists or research
managers that is needed to serve the scientific community in Africa. The few experts that were trained
were not replicated -expertise in many fields (taxonomy and forestry for example) is as endangered
as our biodiversity and ecosystems!
Scientific Academies
Senior scientists, policy makers and managers have formed the membership of scientific academies
across the African continent, but there are still only 10 academies of science in Africa’s 55 countries,
and the pan-African African Academy of Sciences (AAS) has been in existence for only 10 years.
These academies have for the most part, had little influence on government policy and academic
productivity, due to a large extent to a lack of adequate support from governments and the private
sector.

4.

A Science Agenda From An African Perspective

Objective of the Agenda
The objective of Africa’s agenda for S&T is to be designed to ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability. It is to enable Africa to use S&T for capacity building, to improve economic
production, and thus improve the quality of life of its people -today and tomorrow.
The countries of Africa have a diversity of cultures tempered by different modern histories, and adiversity of physical/ecological characteristics; they all have desperately poor rural and urban populations lacking in skills, in organised lives and in security for their futures; most have little to offer andless to lose. How do we channel the energy, oppose the chaos and anger, and get individuals to
pursue individual visions and also collective goals -how do we focus their energy into implementing
the science agenda for development? A science agenda for Africa must focus on bringing the meansfor participation in productive self-employment to the greatest number of our people in the shortest
possible time.
Tools for Implementing the Agenda
The science agenda must include elements that will empower Africa to use the tools at the global
frontiers of S&T to address the complex problems of integrated sustainable development. We must
invest in the tools of information technology, biotechnology, nuclear physics, and space science, andget them to serve as the foundation for the strong R&D programmes, which will enable the development of essential industries and a thriving small to medium sized enterprise (SME) sector.
Ø Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
ICTs will be the entry point for many African countries to putting a science agenda into action. ICTs
have the potential to enhance the ability of even the most disadvantaged countries and individuals of
all levels of literacy to access and utilize information and knowledge for self-development so that they
can benefit from the world’s knowledge, and also contribute to it. These technologies offer a unique
opportunity for a large percentage of the world’s pool – of knowledge to be available to all equitably.
Ø Biotechnology
Another likely common entry point for putting a science agenda into action is biotechnology. Biotechnology provides technological methods for enhancing African history and endowment- for improving

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ATPS SPECIAL PAPER SERIES N O. 14

and sustaining bio-resources, including indigenous plants used for medicinal purposes, for food andfor other products of economic and social value. Biotechnology contributes to food security throughincreased and food crop production (improved seeds, bio-pesticides) and food processing andstorage (e.g. gamma irradiation).
Ø Nuclear Physics
Nuclear irradiation methods are used in food preservation (e.g. sterilisation, delayed ripening), materials sterilisation (e.g. medical practice) and in industrial materials irradiation (e.g. ‘doping’ andcross-linking of plastics to improve their performance). Investment in a gamma radiation .programme
provides the opportunity for a country to train high level people who can make contributions to theapplications of particle physics, electron guns, cobalt sources and solid state physics for immediate
benefit and for benefits yet not known or anticipated.
Ø Space science
Space science in a science agenda for Africa is anchored in areas of (1) communication(satellite, V SAT, wireless) systems and (2) remote sensing and earth observation. Information fromremote sensing provides a means to access reliable data on forest cover, oceans and other natural
resources, and on land use dynamics, to serve as the basis for planning for exploitation and management of those resources in sustainable ways. Research and development on the application of thesehigh-tech and other traditional tools of S&T as well as of industry and engineering, is not intended
primarily to repeat what has been done by others, but to provide dedicated solutions to our specificneeds and environment. Such R&D should be a source of training of critically needed highly skilled
manpower and provide the opportunity for use of their acquired knowledge. Effective R&D will importantly, enable innovation, and also reduce the high costs of building infrastructure and providing
equipment and applications inherent in importing packaged technologies and foreign expertise.
Ø Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs)
Most large-scale industries on ground in Africa today are multinational and African countries thatparticipate are most often disadvantaged partners; furthermore, most large industries in the world
today do their R&D in their home countries (preventing genuine technology transfer) and do not
employ the large numbers of people required to make an impact on local economies. While it isimportant to introduce some large scale industries that are critical or strategic and to train manpower
for them to ensure our ability to be in control of the technology, it would be unrealistic to think that every
country in Africa will undergo a comprehensive industrial revolution.
There is no doubt that it will be more effective to start with production and service technologies thatwill create jobs in large numbers, quickly. We need to focus on providing information from R&D andan enabling environment for SMEs to get more people into the productive sector- a robust SMEs
sector can demand and pay for more R&D, and services and thereby build infrastructure and institutions.

5.

Essential Elements For An African Science
AgendaThere are elements that are essential to an African science agenda, if it is to be effective in achieving
its objectives. These include political will and vision, definition of policies, concerted, integrated
capacity building, massive support for education at all levels, critical strategic partnerships, enthusiastic support for R&D, and for small and medium scale enterprises.
Ø Political will and vision
The most fundamental element of a science agenda for Africa is a genuine political will and vision,consistent with the objectives of the agenda, which acknowledges that S&T are credible tools forsolving our problems. African countries must have politicians and other social leaders who share thisvision with the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. From that common shared vision, there will
be a political commitment to deploying resources to implement that vision not just today, but for
putting in place structures for sustaining the commitment to resource allocation to implement theshared vision.
If this vision is truly shared within individual countries, we welcome the new pan-African institutions
that are being formed, such as the African Union (AU) and New Partnership for African Development(NEPAD), because without these visions, these institutions will be as ineffective as others that havebeen formed in the past.
NEPAD is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common or shared vision -to accept it as acollective duty to create jobs, generate wealth and reduce poverty and to fix the vision through actions
to put in place regulatory (liberalisation) and legal (de-regulation) frameworks. These regulatory andlegal frameworks are to promote peace, transparency, accountability, rule of law, security of life andinvestments, respect for human rights, gender equality and sensibility, public-private sector partnerships and popular participation.
There have been too few leaders in developing nations with the necessary vision to have the political
will to support S&T as a tool for positive good. Nehru and Ataturk had no problem with sharing theirpolitical vision with academics and scientists -African civil society led by its elders, academic, professional and religious leaders and entrepreneurs, must let the highest levels of power know that they
expect a higher level of consciousness from their leaders to enable them have this shared vision.

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ATPS SPECIAL PAPER SERIES N O. 14

Ø Define Policies for S&T
Policies are basically road-maps, or frameworks. When embarking on any journey, it is good to havea roadmap to assist in arriving at the intended destination. It is important that African countries have aplanned route, in the form of a policy in major development sectors. In Nigeria for example under thecurrent administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology has put in place 11 policies ranging
from information technology (IT), biotechnology, space, industrial materials, and intellectual property
rights (IPRs), to energy.
Policies provide a framework, but can be disregarded or remain ineffective if not put into law. Governments must confirm a policy by fixing it through establishing it in law, through executive and legislative
approval. Once a policy is fixed, it is most likely to withstand the vagaries of changes in politicalleadership, administrative personnel and even economic support.
It is not for every African country to follow the trajectory of Nigeria -but every country must identify areas
based on their particular environment and resources, through which it can get involved at a significant level in S&T for development. That said, it is also true that most countries will find it necessary tohave a biotechnology policy and that all countries must have a policy on ICTs. ICTs are essential forcapacity building and in data and institutional management in all sectors of development.
Ø Embrace Integrated Capacity Building
When we talk of capacity building for individuals, for institutions or in infrastructure, it is clear thatbuilding in capacity in one cannot be done in isolation from building capacity in the others.
• Of what use is it to send Nigerian engineers to the UK to learn space science if theycome back to Nigeria without an institution to absorb them or infrastructure to support
the institutions in which they want to use their skills and knowledge? We have banks
that use high-tech IT systems and train personnel in banking skills, but if a stable andsound financial (infrastructure) system is not in place, banks will continue to fail us.
• Africans in the diaspora are increasingly interested in coming back to participate in
the new visions being incorporated into policies which are to enable new production
and services, but if the infrastructure and institutions to support policy implementation
are not in place, these people may have no choice but to give up the dream.
• We have been supporting capacity building of doctors and nurses in our educational
system, but our medical services are col1apsing because of poor support for infrastructure and institutions; our doctors and nurses are leaving daily for countries thathave this capacity.
• Clearly, there must be a concerted effort to address capacity building in an integrated
way, with each capacity need influencing the development of the others.
Ø Provide Education, Education, and More Education
Basic to enabling integrated capacity building is the broad range of human capacity, which is underpinned by good education. There has been a lot of education in Africa, but much of it has not been

A SCIENCE AGENDA F ROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

9effective and functional- and clearly the educational systems we have, have not prepared us for the
S&T world of the 2151 century.
Early education
We need to look at education in a comprehensive way from family, to nursery to secondary to tertiary
education; we need to provide the basic educational foundation upon which S&T education can bebuilt. This means that African countries must ensure that children are literate in mother tongues inearly education as the mother tongue is the foundation for basic concepts and values and imagination which provide for subsequent studies in math, physics and engineering which may be taught inany other language. Value systems, discipline, perseverance, objectivity and integrity, and appreciation for rational and logical thinking should characterise the educational process from childhood toadulthood.
Secondary, Technical and Informal Education
In order to enable all levels and sectors of our citizenry benefit from the science agenda, Africancountries should be committed to providing literacy and numeric skil1s to the level of secondary
school to 100% of their citizens. This can be achieved through the expansion of secondary, technicaland informal education systems, which will produce the bulk of the users and implementers of the
products of S&T and constitute a viable market for its products and services.
Tertiary Education
African countries have invested in tertiary institutions for decades, but these institutions have notyielded the desired results. The few early universities were too elitist to provide the critical mass ofgraduates; the unmanaged expansion of universities in recent years has resulted in graduates without the skills and knowledge, attitudes and values required for the 2151 century. Our universities need
to be given support for integrated capacity building to improve the numbers and quality of theirgraduates. We need to use the new tools of technology to expand education, for example, virtual
libraries and the Internet. We need to look at innovative approaches to ‘add value’ to the degrees ofour graduates to enable them fit into the employment needs opened up by the African scienceagenda. There is a need for institutionalising ‘mentoring’ for young science graduates who have notgrown up with a scientific culture, to expose them in positive and intense ways to become successful
professionals and entrepreneurs.
However, in addition to these main-stream tertiary institutions, Africa must invest in high level (international and pan-African) centres for providing the specialist human capacity required for implementing the science agenda for Africa. We need to create oases or small and focused centres to sequester
areas of excellence. These centres of excellence must deliberately protect merit, innovation, andcreativity.

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ATPS SPECIAL PAPER SERIES N O. 14

These centres of excellence as well as the mainstream universities need to be open -they need to be
multinational; we must bring back the diversity and synergy of international cross fertilisation ofacademia which rarely exists today in African universities. We must send our best abroad for training
in some frontier areas, but greater effort should be made to bring those in the frontiers of science
outside Africa -whatever their nationality, to centres of excellence in Africa- this will only be possible if
the required supporting institutions and infrastructure are in place.
Ø Engage in Critical (strategic) Partnerships
We need partnerships to create world-class universities, to create world class R&D institutions, toimplement joint research projects, to enable transfer and exchange of research scientists and engineers, to open institutions to international staff, to jointly fund projects and to jointly create industries(e.g. Nigeria-Surrey Satellite Scheme).
International Partnerships
With respect to capacity, implementation of policies, education, and institutional and infrastructural
capacities, we cannot do it alone; Africa will need support from the international community in termsof capital and expertise.
We must wonder whether Africa is of enough strategic importanceto Europe, USA, Russia or Japan to
deploy resources and expertise for these partnerships to bring Africa into the global network of S&T
and development. I would like to think the answer is yes and I give a reason why it is yes. Africa has
strategic resources, land mass, and a population (700 million) which is a viable market. Yes, there isbasis and leverage so that it can be a win-win situation for international partnerships.
For these joint partnerships Africa must have a defined agenda; and we must be in the driving seatand maintain our own agenda and not allow our agenda to be ambushed by other interest groups.
South-South Partnerships
There must be best efforts at South-South cooperation in S&T development through exploiting complementary skills to build each other’s capacity and create and share markets. We can establish coalitions as well as create the synergy for coalitions to have greater competitive capacity in the broader
global theatre of competition. Such coalitions can exploit openings in a shifting global economy.
Particular countries may want to enlarge their major S&T programmes beyond national boundaries,
especially in areas where those countries have commonalities. For this purpose it may be useful tohave sub-regional groups based on existing growth points for driving African S&T, e.g. North Africa,
West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa.
While such coalitions may be initiated by one or two countries, others will join as they; see benefit andadvantage to joining.

A SCIENCE AGENDA F ROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

11

For this type of partnerships to work, Africans must invest heavily in the implementing institutions. The
AU and NEPAD should be in a good position to invest in such partnering and institution building.
Support Research and Development (R&D)
The African science agenda must include a strong policy support and funding for R&D. In addition,
Africa has to build world class R&D institutions as centres of excellence; it is institutions of this qualitythat can meaningfully engage in international partnerships: in the exchange of scientists, in implementation of joint research projects; and in accessing local, regional and international R&D funds.
For the past forty years or more, African countries have not been able to build, fund, and run suchworld-class research institutions. International research institutions, like IITA, the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), among others, have much more liberal funding than national research
institutes, and of course are better run and administered thus attracting and retaining first classresearch scientists with a high level of creative and innovative research outputs leading to patents,
products and services. The AU and NEPAD have no choice but to invest in (3-4) world-class R&D
institutions manned by African and other international scientists -this critical mass of scientist, hopefully, can train young scientists as well as serve as mentors for them.
In addition to building R&D institutions, African political and academic leadership must show evidence of building strong science and engineering academies.
Modern technologies will be the target of African R&D in the strategic areas mentioned earlier underpolicy and in other areas such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, engineering materials and parts, andrenewable energy including solar energy technologies and fuel cells. Equally important, Africancountries have a natural endowment and comparative advantage in terms of ecosystems with uniquebiodiversity and habitats that need protection and conservation and also preservation in gene banks,
while we exploit these species and products sustainably in the areas of food security (including
indigenous foods), medicine, cosmetics and building materials. In this regard, “There is a need topromote the understanding of the eminent value of intellectual property as a key to the creation of
wealth in our 2151 century world, and to protect such rights as presently exist in the developing world,
as well as help build appropriate R&D facilities for the promotion of the search for new and cuttingedge knowledge for self-and global development.” 1

1

Okpaku J.O. Creating New Leaders for E-Culture, Coventry United Kingdom, August 2001.

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ATPS SPECIAL PAPER SERIES N O. 14

Ø Empower Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs)
In the USA, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, over 70% of the wealth generated is from
SMEs. Africa has a strong entrepreneurial culture but we need to raise the technical standard of theactivities of our small entrepreneurs to raise their income levels. There is no better way to address thisproblem than through support for SMEs and for R&D in support of the production and services that
SMEs can offer our nations.
Technology allows the small company to look bigger; the emerging company to become moremature at a faster pace; the small company to reach customers it never could reach or customers it
never knew existed. In the same vein, technology gives entrepreneurs and citizens of developing
nations a springboard from which to have more control of their own destinies and compete, sell,
supply, and participate in educational, commercial and humanitarian ventures with their fellow, citizens domestically and around the world. The assimilation/uptake of technology in developing countries will not be unlike the scene in an African market: disconnected, vibrant, chaotic and not always
efficient. However, any attempt to prevent this technology dissemination will be tantamount to “herding cats”. To be more specific, West Africa provides a window for us to look into the “African market
system” with respect to the acquisition and introduction of technology that is now taking place. Hereare two examples:• A recent New York Times article focused on the loss of hundreds of civil servant jobs in the
USA to a small Ghanaian business! The thousands of parking tickets written up daily in New
York City (NYC) were being scanned and sent via the Internet to Ghana for entry into a billing
and records system. Except for minor problems with reading the poor penmanship of New
York’s parking maids, the Ghana connection has provided a technical service that has
saved NYC tens of thousands of dollars.
• Wireless Internet Access has been the medium of choice to access the Internet in rural
areas and townships that do not have cable or phone lines. The infrastructure for this technology includes the installation of satellite dishes, telecom towers etc. In the larger cities of
Nigeria, these towers and dishes can be seen sprouting up from half completed buildings,
banks, political campaign headquarters, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private
business, etc. You can be sure that these entities and institutions are not colluding to corner
the wireless Internet market! Quite the contrary, they are probably acting quite independently.
At the cost of some inefficiency these brave pioneers are taking entrepreneurial risks and not
waiting for handouts to make things happen.
These two examples show that the best thing governments in developing nations can do is create anenvironment where there is free enterprise, minimal regulation, support in the form of training, resource centres with low cost high speed internet access and possibly providing business andeCommerce consulting expertise to SMEs. Forums can be facilitated (in Nigeria, through NITDA for
example) that bring the purveyors of some of these entrepreneurial ventures together to learn fromeach other before returning to the gold rush-like chaos of ICT. Small business will come and go but
such support services will need to be continuous, consistent and reliable.

A SCIENCE AGENDA F ROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

13

As contrasted with manufacturing, service based industries typically have much lower fixed costs
than manufacturing and are more accessible. There are huge opportunities for African entrepreneurs to start service-based SMEs for local clients as well as international ones. Africans are quite
comfortable in the small business model let the world know: the African market is open for business!

6.

Can The Science Agenda Work For Africa?
Initiatives and Action in Nigeria

What is happening that is promising/good for Africa? Our agenda must be anchored in what ishappening in Africa -we need success stories of what is working to serve as inspiration for other
African countries. It may appear difficult to get examples for the continent- but I am sure others in thisforum will relate some of them. I can mention a few from Nigeria.
Since the inauguration of a democratic government just over three years ago, the Nigerian government has shown evidence of the will and vision for implementing a scientific agenda for sustainable
development.
Our Biotechnology, IT, and space policies have been approved by the Federal Executive Council,
structures have been put in place and they are functioning; our SME policy is in the process of goingto the National Executive Council.
The Information Technology (IT) Policy
Following the drafting of an IT policy grounded in political vision, the political will was confirmed
when the policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council and subsequently fixed throughlegislation. Funds were committed and infrastructure has been put in place, staff has been appointed
with professional leadership and mobilisation of the private sector as strategic partners. There is a
specific national information backbone; some specific training and a process for implementation of
e-governance is on-going.
Space Policy
Our space policy was formulated, and approved by the Federal Executive Council. Fifteen Nigerianengineers are undergoing training in Surrey for capacity building in the design, building and launching of Nigeria’s first satellite (Nigeria Sat 1) and this first group will be involved in the design of Nigerian
Sat 2, a communication satellite, as well as Sat 3. The space programme is preparing groundstations and receivers with the private company, Raytheon. The space policy is being implemented-there are physical structures, staff, and the professional leadership of a Director General. Nigerians
are being trained so that the space programme can be sustainable -and contribute to managing
biodiversity and other natural resources in sustainable ways.

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A SCIENCE AGENDA F ROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

15Biotechnology Policy
Our biotechnology policy has been formulated and approved by the Federal Executive Council, andthere are structures and staff in place and a Director appointed. The biotechnology programme
coordinates all biotech activities in Nigeria. Biotechnology and nuclear physics are being brought
together through a programme of SHESTCO (a S&T complex) building, a US$30 million modern
biotechnology laboratory. The biotechnology programme is also completing a gamma radiation
plant costing over US$53 million. An important part of this success story is that Nigeria is meeting its
financial commitment to this project (So African countries that have started similar projects butabandoned them as they could not sustain the financial support required). This gamma radiation
facility will be completed in the next 12 months.
Support for Pan-African Institutions
Another evidence of the Nigerian government’s commitment to a science agenda for Africa is shownin its commitment of support for the AU, and the implementation of NEPAD spearheaded by South
Africa, Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria. Nigeria is also committed to providing an endowment to theAfrican Academy of Science (AAS) though support of a policy approved by Nigeria’s President and theFederal Executive Council and through an appropriation Act of the National Assembly of Nigeria.
Nigeria is in the process of honouring that legislation. It is hoped that other countries will also commit
to support of the AAS.
Industrialisation
Imported technology and transfer of technology (industrialisation) has not made the expected impact
on economic development. For example, the textile industry in India and Pakistan is a huge employer
of man-power and an effective producer of goods. In Nigeria, the textile industry collapsed due toliberalisation and excessive importation.
Nigeria invested in a steel rolling and manufacturing plants and in automobile assembly, but theseinvestments did not translate into industrial capacity. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company(NNPC) didn’t build capacity for Nigerians to be genuine owners or even partners in the oil industry but only enabled them to act as brokers.
It is good to be able to report that since the institution of democracy in Nigeria, steps are being taken
to reverse this situation: the rolling mills are being rehabilitated, the importation of textiles has beenbanned, and NNPC is being restructured to operate as a commercial entity for exploration andproduction.

7.

Final Comment

With political will and vision and defined policies put into reality through support for education, integrated capacity building and critical partnerships at all levels, Africa can position itself along withothers in the world at the frontier of science for sustaining its natural and human resources, and bepart of globalised S&T-driven development in the 21st Century

16

A SCIENCE AGENDA F ROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

17

Other Publications in the ATPS Special Paper SeriesSpecial Paper Series 1
Globalization and Technology: Africa’s Participation and Perspectives: Concept Paper andResearch Agenda by Melvin Ayogu &Osita Ogbu (2002)
Special Paper Series 2
Globalization, Markets for Technology and the Relevance of Innovation Policies in Developing
Economies by Sunil Mani (2002)
Special Paper Series 3
Biotechnology in sub-Saharan Africa: Towards a Policy Research Agenda byJohn Mugabe (2000)
Special Paper Series 4
The Impact of Globalization in sub-Saharan Africa Countries by Mwindaace N. Siamwiza (2002)
Special Paper Series 5
A Blueprint for Developing National ICT Policy in Africa by Clement Dzidonu2002
Special Paper Series 6
Impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Technology Transfer in Africa by Moses M. Ikiara(2002)
Special Paper Series 7
Pursuing Technology Policy Research in sub-Saharan Africa: Reflections on the Dimensions,Applications and Implications of a Methodological Framework by M.H. Khalil-Tammy (2002)
Special Paper Series 8
African Response to the Information Communication Technology Revolution by G. Olalere Ajayi(2002)
Special Paper Series 9
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): Poverty Alleviation and Universal AccessPolicies by Andrew Dymond & Sonja Oestmann (2002)
Special Paper Series 10
ICT Human Resource Development in Africa: Challenges, Strategies and Options by T.M. Waema(2002).
Special Paper Series 11
Applications of ICTs in Africa: Development of Knowledge Workers in Centres of Learning by John

Muraguri Waibochi (2002).
Special Paper Series 12
State of Science and Technology Capacity in sub-Saharan Africa by Khalil-Timamy (2002).
Special Paper Series 13
Strengthening National Information and Communication Technology Policy in Africa: Governance,
Equity and Institutional Issues by Melvin Ayogu(2002).

For more information this series and ATPS Contact:

The Executive Director
The African Technology Policy Studies Network
3rd Floor, The Chancery, Valley Road
P.O. Box 10081 00100 General Post Office
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-2-2714168/092/498
Fax: +254-2-2714028
Email: info@atpsnet.org
Website: http://www.atpsnet.org

ISBN: 9966-916-54-7

Prof. Turner T. Isoun is an Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology,
Nigeria. He is a Professor of Veterinary Science and a Member of the ATPS Board.