TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF 9

CAN AFRICA DEVELOP WITHOUTSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?

Osita Ogbu

AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKABOUT THE AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKThe African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multi-disciplinary networkof researchers, policy makers, actors in the private sector and other end-users
interested in generating, promoting and strengthening innovative science andtechnology policies in Africa. With a regional secretariat in Nairobi, the network
operates through national chapters in 21 African countries, with an expansion planto cover 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 andfarmers’ groups through publications, dialogue and advocacy. Among its range ofpublications are the Working Paper Series (WPS), Research Paper Series (RPS),
Special Paper Series (SPS) and the Technopolicy Briefs.
Technopolicy Briefs Series are commissioned short papers written byexperts from all over the world specifically to address current science andtechnology policy concerns and questions in Africa. The briefs are also
summaries of technical papers published under our WPS, SPS and RPS
written to highlight significant policy recommendations. These briefs arewriten with the busy policymakers and non-specialists in mind. The materials
are designed for general readership and help advance the advocacy andknwoledge brokerage roles of the ATPS.
ATPS is supported by a growing number of donors including the InternationalDevelopment Research Centre (IDRC), the Carnegie Corporation of New York, theRockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, Ford Foundation, CocaCola Eastern Africa, the African Development Bank, and the Royal Dutch Government.

Table of Contents
1.0

Introduction

12.0

Where did Africa go Wrong?

33.0

What of the Brain Drain?

54.0

Does NEPAD Present any Opportunity6

1.0Introduction
The 30th of June is Africa’s science and technology day—the day when Africa and its
people rededicate their efforts to scientific and technological development. Thisday was chosen at the 46th Ministerial Conference of the Organization of AfricanUnity (OAU) on June 30, 1987. It was passed that this day was to be commemorated
every year on 30th June. This is yet another day in the calendar of African policy
makers, scientists, researchers and industrialists. In fact, it is a day that all of Africa
should mark, not for what we have achieved in the field of science and technology
but for what we have not achieved: the missed cues; the missed inventions; the lackof supporting environments for science and technology to thrive and our generallack of interest in science and technology. We are truly in the age of science withmany breakthroughs and this day is likely to pass without any one making a note ofit. Africans have surrendered to the rest of the world in science and technology.
Globalization is driven by science and technology. For example, the Internet isfacilitating rapid opening up and integration of national economies. It is the engineof economic liberalization and associated developments in international trade.
As consumers of science and technology we are fascinated by gadgets, the latestequipments, the speed of these equipments, tools as “toys” for accomplishing ourdaily chores. As fascinated as we may be about the tools and gadgets, we never stop
to marvel and to understand the science behind the tools. Why are we so keen on thelatest gadgets but not keen in improving our science and engineering schools? Why
do we appreciate someone else’s innovation and do very little to support our own
innovators? Only 0.1% of patents registered in the United States Patent andTrademarks Office originate from sub-Saharan Africa.
We have never paused to ask why we score very high on the barometer ofconsumerism and low on the barometer of production. Even as we enjoy the benefits,
we never pause to understand the threats these technologies pose to our way of life,
1

ATPS Technopolicy Brief 9our culture and our relationships. Every new technology creates its own vacuum; its
own set of issues. Are we simply going to be “standbyers” and consume what theenthusiastic technology-merchants dish to us? Or are we going to invest in research,build capacities that would enable us to “own” the technology, maximize the benefits
while minimizing the problems and direct these technology to Africa’s real problems?
Examples from the Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) and from other emerging
nations such as Brazil, China and India, where sustained economic growth havebeen achieved, indicate a strong determination to build indigenous science andtechnology capacities. It is evident from their R&D expenditures and the number ofresearchers per million inhabitants. The NICs spend US$66 per inhabitant while
China spends $17, India $11 and Africa $6. Sub-Saharan Africa has 113 researchers
per million population compared to China’s 454, India’s 151 and NICs’ 595. Weshould have these figures in mind as we chart visions and dreams of industrialization
by 2010, 2020 etc.
There is a certain unwitting acceptance of technological determinism among
Africans, certainly among many African policy makers. Their tendency is to treat
technology as manna from heaven. That technology does not have a social context.
And, that the impacts or effects of technology are determined by the technology
itself. Yet we know that the direction of development and impacts of any given
technology are shaped by social and economic forces embedded in well-craftedscience and technology policies.

22.0
Where did Africa go Wrong?
Science and technology are permanent lexicon in the African development discourse
among our policy makers. No speech will be read and no plan would be promulgatedwithout mention of the importance of science and technology in Africa’s development.
From the Lagos Plan of Action of 1980, the Kilimanjaro Declaration of 1987, theKhartoum Declaration of 1988, the Addis Ababa Declaration of 1998 and manyothers, it is clear that African political leaders, at least on paper, understand theimportance of science and technology in the socio-economic development of thecontinent. The Lagos Plan of Action mandates that by 1990, every African country
should be spending at least 1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on scienceand technology. No African country has met this target twelve years after the due
date. The Addis Ababa Declaration captures and reaffirms the essence of all theother declarations thus: “aware of the considerable impact of the progress made in
the field of science and technology and aware of the challenges facing our continent,
we are determined to promote the development of science and technology and toshare our experiences in this areas so as to meet these challenges”. In ourdetermination, what progressive steps have we taken to realize this loft declaration.
A few institutions have been set up but none of these institutions will exist without
donor financing in spite of their status as inter-governmental institutions. No meetingof researchers, and for that matter, no meeting of those charged with science andtechnology policy making can take place in Africa without donor financing. How
determined are we then to exploit science and technology for Africa’s development?
Every meeting, every workshop and every conference charts “the way forward” andyet we are getting farther and farther away from the “promised land”.
But where is the action? African governments have all created national science
councils with lofty objectives but given them very little resources with which tochampion their mandates. African Science and technology ministries are the least
funded of all ministries and their mandates less clear. The notion of an institution to3

ATPS Technopolicy Brief 9
coordinate science and technology research and institutions is not taken seriously.
It is often a symbol of what could be, a statement of intent. No wonder the media
leads in charging that the ministry of science and technology is a junior ministry
whose Minister has a lower standing that his counterpart in say, the planning ministry.
But how can this be? The ministry that is charged with the responsibility of generating
new knowledge and in charting the science and technology development of a country
be junior? Perceptions become reality and these impressions have persisted. The
media must help us in reversing this impression. It must assume its role in accurately
informing the public of the role of science and technology in improving societalwelfare. It must help in building a strong popular constituency for science andtechnology; in demystifying science and technology and in putting pressure on
governments to respect their commitments to promote science and technology fordevelopment. The media must not be associated with the simplistic, erroneous anddangerous notion that science and technology institutions are junior to theircounterparts. On the contrary, they must be promoted as critical for change anddevelopment.
We have research institutes and laboratories that have not only become skeletons of
their past but some are now mere consulting outfits. If there is no donor money, evensalaries of the researchers will not be paid. Yes, the structural adjustment programdid not help matters. But science and technology research and application havenever seriously been a top priority item for African national governments. If it were, noone would convince them to do away with that which is of strategic national
importance. Foreign governments and foreign companies make welcome noises
about technology transfer? But who would ever freely give away his competitive
advantage? What polices have we put in place to make sure that Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) make technological linkages to our local firms that would eventuallypropel autonomous technical change? Why are we always asking for money insteadknowledge from donors? With knowledge you create your own wealth, with aid you
become dependent on foreigners.

43.0
What of the Brain Drain?
Africa’s brain drain phenomenon has both pull and push factors that have contributed
significantly to the poor state of science and technology in the region. Given poor
political and economic conditions of most African states, many top scientists voted
with their feet. Those who were trained abroad, sometimes at great expense toAfrica, refused to return. Some developed countries also put in place policies toattract highly specialized Africans thereby depleting the meager stock. It is no longer
useful to spend enormous amounts of energy lamenting this drain but to look forways in which to benefit from the stock of knowledge which these Africans now
posses. Permanent reverse brain drain is not likely to happen any time soon. Africa
in partnership with those countries and institutions that benefit from Africa’s scientists
must put in place policies and mechanisms for exploiting, albeit in temporary periods,
the skills and capabilities of these Africans in supporting indigenous Africa’s scienceand technology capacities. The suggested details of this mechanism will be thesubject of another article. But suffice it to say that this mechanism will involve a
combination of change in attitude among our policy makers. They must provide asuitable domestic environment that not only encourages Africans abroad to freely
give of themselves and share their knowledge during these short stays and exchanges;
summer programs and sabbaticals but to establish strong national linkages that
may eventually force them to return finally. This program can be financed through astrong partnership between Africa and the developed world.

54.0
Does the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Present any Opportunity?
Africa has another opportunity through the NEPAD process to acquire, indigenize
and sustain its science and technological capabilities. In fact, the entire NEPAD
initiative should be knowledge-driven. The emphasis should be on science-led
sustainable development that is rooted in African scholarship and global knowledge.
The NEPAD initiative must champion and popularize science and technology as thereal forces for socio-economic growth. The billions of dollars that the developed
partners are likely to give in support of this initiative should not only be conditional on
good governance, as important as this is, but on a clear program of science andtechnology-led development. It must be used to rebuild our science and engineeringschools and infrastructure and to support knowledge networks and institutions in
Africa that generate and broker science and technology knowledge. African problems:
food insecurity; diseases; ignorance; supply constraints, lend themselves to scienceand technological solutions. Why not an innovation fund that encourages the work ofscientists and engineers to be translated into goods and services. Why not an African
Science and Technology University where African scholars both at home and abroadwith their counterparts elsewhere who have expertise on African problems cancollaborate and forge strong links with the private sector in search of science-based
solutions to Africa’s real problems. Africa is endowed with abundant natural resources
but its need science and technology to unleash the potential: to sustainably utilize
these resources to generate wealth and fight poverty. African policy makers should
create the environment for innovation to thrive. Now is the time to go beyond rhetoricand declarations.

6ATPS Technopolicy Briefs Series
Who Benefits from the New International Intellectual Property Rights Regime? And
What Should Africa Do? by Ha-Joon Chang(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 1)
How Can We Constitutionalize Innovation, Technology and Intellectual Property inKenya ? by Bernard Sihanya(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 2)What Can Biotechnology Do For Africa? How Can The Associated Risks And
Uncertainties Be Managed? by Norman Clark(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 3)
Who Needs Technology Policy? by Ha-Joon Chang(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 4)
Keeping Hunger at Bay: Genetic Engineering and Food Security in sub-SaharanAfrica by John Mugabe(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 5)
What Can Biotechnology Do For Africa? How Can The Associated Risks And
Uncertainties Be Managed? by Norman Clark(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 3)
Formulating and Implementing Science and Technology in Africa. by Osita Ogbu
(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 7)
Science and Technology Policy for Nigeria’s Reconstruction: A Dialogue with Policy
Makers and Legislators. by Osita Ogbu
(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 8)

The author is the Executive Director of African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS). This policy brief is based on a paper published in the East African Standard
on June 28, 2002 to commemorate the 2002 Scientific Revival Day in Africa. Views
expressed in this brief are personal.

Published by
The African Technology
Policy Studies Network,
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© 2004 African Technology
Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
Printed byISBN:For more information this series and ATPS Contact:

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