www.atpsnet.org

Issue No 017, AUGUST 2020

TECHNOPOLICYAFRICAThe official newsletter of the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN 978-9966-124-91-3

Highlights
ATPS Ranked as the 1st Top Science and Technology Policy Think
Tank in Africa and 10th Globally
The World and COVID-19: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
University Students Assemble Kenya’s First Locally-Made
Ventilator

Contents

EDITO RI A L TE A M
Editor in Chief:
Dr. Nicholas Ozor

Editor:Felix Musila

ATPS Vision:
To use science, technology and innovation (STI) as a means for achieving
sustainable development in Africa.

ATPS Mission:
To improve the quality of science, technology and innovation (STI) systems
research, policy and practice by strengthening capacity for STI knowledge
generation, dissemination, and use for sustainable development in Africa.

Overall Objective:
Contributors:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Dr. Akanimo Odon
Uzochukwu G.O. Okafor
Tebogo L. Mogaleemang
Moses Odhiambo

To build Africa’s capabilities in science, technology and innovation forsustainable development.

ATPS Motto:
Building Africa’s capabilities in science, technology and innovation
policy research, policymaking and policy implementation for sustainable
development.

Felix Musila
ATPS Team

Inside...

Design and Layout:
Felix Musila•

ATPS Vision & Mission•

Board Chairman’s Message•

Executive Director’s Message•

ATPS Retains the 1st Position as the Top Science & Technology
Policy Think Tank in Africa and 10th Globally•

Empowering Africa’s STI- Organisations Through EcoInnovation and Resource Mobilisation Strategies for Impact•

The World and COVID-19: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly•

Climate and Environment Commitment-The African
Conundrum•

Health Innovation: Kenyan University Students Innovate to Fill
COVID-19 Ventilator Shortage•

Scholarships/Opportunities•

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Chairman’s message

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Chairman’s message

It gives me great pleasure towelcome you to this editionof the TechnoPolicy Africa
Newsletter. During these trying
times we face due to thenovel COVID-19 pandemic,
our determination, resilienceand hope is put to the test.
Just to borrow from the great
words of Thich Nhat Hanh
who said and I quote “Hopeis important because it canmake the present moment
less difficult to bear. If webelieve that tomorrow will
be better, we can bear ahardship today”. It may bedifficult to remain hopeful when
faced with loss and uncertainty,
but we have plenty of reasons
to be optimistic.

ATPS continues to record
remarkable progress in its
endeavors to build Africa’s
capabilitiesinscience,technology and innovation
policy research, policymaking
and policy implementation
for sustainable development.
Among the most recent major
success stories is that the
ATPS emerged as the 1st
Top Science and Technology
Policy Think Tank in Africa
and 10th globally according to
the 2019 Global Go To Think
Tank Index Report released by
the University of Pennsylvania
under the Think Tank and Civil
Societies Program.
ATPS also came tops in Africa in
the categories of the Best Useof Internet, Best Institutional

and implementation for Africa’s
development. These roles haveearned us our position as thepremier STI policy researchorganization in Africa.

Prof. Crispus Kiamba,
Chair, ATPS Board of Directors

Collaboration Involving Twoor More Think Tanks, Think
Tank with the Most Innovative
Policy Ideas/Proposals, Think
Tank with the Most Significant
Policy Impact and the Best
Advocacy Think Tank among
other categories. With these
tremendous
successes,
the ATPS Board extends
its gratitude to the entire
5000 network members andstakeholders spread across 51
countries in 5 continents fortheir great support and strategic
guidance.
As we progressively continue
to implement our Phase VIII
Strategic Plan (2017-2022), we
strive to ensure that our strategic
activities
aresuccessfully
heeded to and fulfilled. The
ATPS Phase VIII Strategic
Plan will continue to build
upon the numerous gains andachievements recorded during
the previous years. We willcontinue to sustain our integrityand expertise in Science,
Technology and Innovation (STI)
policy research, policymaking

The ATPS remains committed
to serve its wide range ofstakeholders even better. Thisis despite the ugly glare of the
global COVID-19 pandemic.
We therefore continue to solicit
for financial support from ourconsortium of donors andpartners and remain open tocollaborations and partnerships
with like-minded organizations
and institutions around theworld.
I take this opportunity to thankall those who have supported
us during this period throughdevelopment grants, linkages,
partnerships
and
other
collaborative activities. I also   
wish to thank all those whohave greatly contributed to thisedition of the TechnoPolicy
Africa Newsletter for their very
spirited and resourceful inputs.

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3Executive Director’s message

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Executive Director’s message

W

elcome to the seventeenth edition of
the TechnoPolicy Africa Newsletter2020. This edition highlights significant
events, achievements and challenges of the
ATPS during the period. In general, we continue
to push on with our core mandate of promoting
the generation, dissemination, use and masteryof science, technology and  innovation for Africa’s
development, environmental sustainability andglobal inclusion.
The ATPS continues to stand in solidarity withall our partners, grantors, collaborators and theentire Science and Technology fraternity during
this COVID-19 pandemic period. At the ATPS, wehave remodeled some of our project activities tosuit safety measures that different countries haveadopted within their jurisdictions whilst ensuringthat we cause minimal disruptions to our projects,
programmes and activities. Most importantly, we
have fully activated our National Chapters in 30
countries to enable us implement our activities
within these countries under the COVID-19
lockdown. In the last five months, we have beenable to implement our project activities in nearly
Dr.Nicholas Ozor, ATPS Executive Director
22 African countries without making a single trip,
thanks to our National Chapters who have lived up to our expectations by delivering in-countryroles with the Secretariat providing oversight functions. This mode of work has also enabled us
to achieve outputs and outcomes at the least transaction costs.  
Besides, we have prepared two important publications on Nationally Determined Contributions
for Africa under our ‘Climate change thematic priority’.   The first publication is on “Nationally
Determined Contributions Implementation Index and Tracking Tools for Africa” available at:https://atpsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/NDC-Implementation-Report-final.pdf; while
the second is on “Political Economy of Climate Change Governance in Africa” available at: https://
atpsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Report-on-Political-Economy-of-Climate-ChangeGovernance-final.pdf.
We wish to thank all our partners, grantors and donors for their relentless support even as we
continue to solicit for more support to enable us achieve our objective of strengthening Africa’s
capability in science, technology and innovation for sustainable development. We pledge tocontinue to remain astute in the delivery of our mandate with the highest value for money.

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Global Go To Index Report-2019

ATPS Retains the 1st Position as the Top Science andTechnology Policy Think Tank in Africa and (10th globally)
According to a Global Report
By ATPS Team,T

he ATPS once again secured its top spot as Africa’s Top Science andTechnology Policy Think Tank and 10th globally according to the 2019 Global
Go To Think Tank Index Report that was officially released on 28 January 2020.

This marked 14 years of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) that aims toacknowledge important contributions as well as emerging trends in think tanks worldwide.
The report sought to showcase the role played by think tanks in governments and civilsocieties with the sole aim of improving their capacity as well as performance. A panel ofexperts drawn from diverse disciplines ranked over 8,000 think tanks from across the globe.
The (ATPS) managed to retain its top position as the 1st Top Science and Technology Policy
Think Tank in Africa and 10th globally. This is a no mean achievement. Think tanks under thiscategory provide top-notch quality research solutions in a number of genres ranging from energy,
climate to life sciences. These think tanks excel in different spheres of research, analysis andpublic engagement on a wide range of policy issues with the aim of advancing debate, facilitating
cooperation between relevant actors, maintaining public support and funding, and improving theoverall quality of life in the relevant countries that they cover.
The ATPS also ranked tops in many othercategories that were used to assess Think
Tanks across the world. Notable among thesecategories are: Best Managed Think Tank;
Think Tank with the Most Innovative Policy
Ideas/Proposals; Best Independent Think
Tank; Best Trans Disciplinary Research
Think Tanks and Civil Societies Think Tank; Best Advocacy Campaign
Think Tank; Think Tank with the Best Use
Program logoof the Internet; and Think Tank with theBest Institutional Collaboration Involving
Two or More Think Tanks; Best Think Tank in Domestic Health Affairs among others.

More details of the ranking can be found in the report at:https://repositor y.upenn.edu/think _tanks/17?utm_source=repositor y.upenn.
edu%2Fthink_t anks%2F17&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

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5Article

Empowering Africa’s STI-Organizations Through EcoInnovation and Resource-Mobilization Strategies for
ImpactBy Dr. Akanimo Odon- Africa Strategy Advisor, Lancaster University &CEO, Envirofly Consulting UK LimitedA

thorough assessment and review of several reports and documentation whichshow the developmental and current state of STI in different African countries,
provides a justification for this article which considers a two-pronged approach to
the effectiveness and sustainability of STI-organizations in Africa.   Within the STI pillars
of knowledge acquisition, knowledge creation, knowledge transfer and developing an
innovation culture, pushing for an eco-innovation agenda with capacity building at its core andsupporting a strategic resource mobilization drive with internationalization at its core, are twoclear ways of increasing the relevance of STI-organizations especially in a post-COVID era.
In an era where the identification of long term ‘solutions’ to sustainable development andclimate change challenges across the world is crucial, there is a strategic lead that STI-focusedorganizations (including government, universities and research and development departments
of industries) in Africa can take to develop home-grown policies and initiatives to allow Africans
themselves provide solutions to their own particular needs and challenges. The twin pillars ofincreasing human capital and building Africa’s green and sustainable economy, comes together
in eco-innovation.   Eco-innovation has the capacity to deliver the mechanisms needed forgreen growth and sustainable development.  These mechanisms will be essential to producing
commercially successful products, services and technologies that would reduce the impacts ofhuman activities on the environment, achieve more efficient/responsible uses of natural resourcesand enhance societal, economic, and technological resilience to environmental pressures.
There is no doubt that there exists huge gaps between academic research and industry inmany African countries. This provides   for an urgent need to design policy tools, knowledgetransfer programmes and pathways to impact models to ensure a new era of impactoriented research in African countries, driven by providing STI-backed solutions to actual
problems. This is a strategic push that is needed to support the process of change
from a ‘publish or perish’ agenda to a ‘publish and impact’ agenda in African research.
Most African researchers know of the term ‘Publish or Perish’ which is used to describe the factthat research in Africa is being driven fundamentally from a ‘publish to be promoted’ basis asagainst a ‘publish for impact’ basis. While both bases can function together, the trouble is thatmost African STI-researchers are not driven by research for impact because they do not seem tohave a compulsion to. In an environment where there are so many challenges, in which research
can be designed to provide solutions to these challenges, most African researchers publish
without a clear impetus to make real change. There are pressing issues that makes researching
to answer real practical questions in African institutions difficult and in most cases untenable.
Academia says ‘we have knowledge’; Industry says ‘we have Money’; and Government
says ‘we have Power’. One of the challenges that stifles implementation of STI policies andprogrammes is the ‘working in a bubble’ situation faced by most agencies emphasized
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Articleby the silos-working mentality of the tripartite segments of society as shown above.
These can be addressed under an eco-innovation framework with knowledge transfer andcapacity building at its core. Established strategies like co-location of academia and industry;
co-development and co-delivery of research programmes between research and industry;
practical SME-solutions through student research projects; consultancy relationships withpractical mutual benefits, to mention but a few.
However, it must be clear that eco-innovation cannot be achieved without qualitative science andtechnology-focused research and resource mobilization which must be driven by government
policies to bridge the gaps between research and industry. This provides a good platform forincreasing STI-employment and employability of Africans with special reference to women andyoung people. With all the policies and strategies in place, implementation would still struggle in
the absence of funding. A good start would be, to however replace ‘funding’ with ‘resources’ as
this makes the engagement required a lot more robust and sourcing for what is needed to makeresearch work goes beyond physical cash to appreciating strategic research partnerships for impact.

Science, Technology and Innovation
Strategy for Africa 2024

The African Union Science, Technology andInnovation Strategy for Africa  2024, emphasizes that
African states have the potential for a 1% contributionof their GDP towards financing STI programmesthat are led by STI-focused organisations. African
leaders have always committed to increasing funding
for national, regional and continental programmes
for science and technology but so far only ahandful of the countries have implemented that. In
2013, Africa’s gross expenditure on research anddevelopment was about 0.45% of GDP, comparedwith 2.71% in North America, 2.11% in Southeast
Asia, 1.75 % in Europe, 1.62% in Asia, and 1.03%  
in Latin America and the Caribbean. The African
figures have not changed much since then.

Africa was home to just 2.4% of the world’s
researchers (1.1% for Sub-Saharan Africa and1.4% in North Africa), compared with 42.8% in Asia, 31% in Europe, 18.5% for North America,and 3.6% for Latin America and the Caribbean. In most African countries, STI-inclined research
institutions depend wholly on their federal governments who now struggle to fund them; they
don’t engage strategically well with private sector organizations or industry who can potentiallyfund them; Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs), when they exist, that can attract funding
are not well operationalized and often gather dusts on shelves; solution-driven research, evenwhen problems abound, is an afterthought; access to increasing international funding is a
struggle; and when they apply for funding, proposals are poor and not commercially viablebecause grantsmanship is deficient. So, the need for a comprehensive resource mobilization andappropriation implementation plan that carefully addresses all the listed issues above is crucial.

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7COVID-19 Article

The World and COVID-19: The Good, The Bad and The
Ugly
By Tebogo L. Mogaleemang- Founder/CEO, Spectrum
Analytics-BotswanaT

he year 2020 promises to mark a turning point in the annals of human history. The humanand economic toll of COVID-19 is going to be immense, and experts claim the global
economic impact will dwarf what we experienced with the 2007/2008 financial crisis.
For good or bad, COVID-19 may be a needed catalyst for us to change how we live and work.
The global pandemic has exposed structural defects in health care systems around the world.
The loss of lives and livelihoods we are witnessing from the pandemic are tragic, however, the disease
has also revealed a lot of things I do not want to go back to. Hindsight is a great teacher, and certainly
our global leaders’ wavering and ambiguous communication allowed this to escalate into a costly
crisis – unintended or not. It has been frustrating watching leaders of the ‘free world’ choosing to playpolitics while the disease is spreading and claiming lives. Bizarrely, the World Health Organisation also
took its sweet time to declare COVID-19 a pandemic – delaying the implementation of appropriate
responses and interventions by governments all over the world. To this day, I am still not sure whether,
I should wear a facial mask in public or not, official recommendations have hopped on both sides.
We live in a world where finding the truth online is increasingly becoming a search for a needle in ahaystack. It may sound counterintuitive to many of us, but it takes information to inform, misinformand disinform. The absence of decisive and assertive global leadership from December 2019 toMarch 2020 created a conducive climate for the spread of false information that placed many
human lives at a risk. COVID-19 has also exposed the dangers of information overload as well. To
quote Herbert Simon, “What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of
its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” Having ‘multiple versionsof truth’ distracted all of us from demanding accountability and adequate COVID-19 responses
from our governments. The internet, our information highway, is breeding human distraction (andbreeding fear) on an epic scale, and that poses extreme risks during times like these. I have caught
myself emotionally conflicted from content I have seen online, and as an African I do not know
how to feel about videos of Africans being subjected to clear and targeted racial discriminationin China. Harsh as it may sound, these Africans would not be subjected to such treatment if
African governments could create the same opportunities for their people - right here in Africa.
The deafening silence of a super power like China on the matter left me uncomfortably numb.
It has not all been gloomy though, I have seen nature bounce back to life as well, birds and squirrels
have come out to play in numbers in my neighbourhood. Despite our chest thumping as a species,
it is sobering to admit that we pose the gravest danger to the existence of other life forms and ourshared biosphere. The disruption of daily human activities has resulted in global drops in pollution. If
we are sincere about conserving the environment, the message is loud and clear, we need to change
our way of life. It is bizarre that currently there are some who are more concerned with the health of
economies than human lives. This is not to trivialise the need to reboot economies, and while theloss of livelihoods is real, at what point did the economy become a sacrificial altar for human lives?

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COVID-19 Article

A pictorial of people wearing masks in public to avoid contracting theCoronavirus“We know what to do to bring back our economy back to life. What we do not know is how tobring people back to life.” as the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo succinctly shared in
one interview. Strangely, we have forgotten that our economies only exist in our imagination in away, heretical as that may sound, that is a fact (Yuval Noah Harari’s insights can help if in doubt).
I have a confession to make though; I am a hopeless optimist. So, despite all the negatives andbizarre moments I have observed and read about, COVID-19 has also sparked enthusiasm
and new hope in me. I have been inspired by how the shortage of medical supplies andrestricted movement of people and goods ended up triggering innovation across Africa. African
states are increasingly consuming their local solutions and innovations to address their own
challenges; this momentum needs to be consciously sustained beyond COVID-19. We haveseen glimpses of what is possible when governments become agile and people-centric. In
my beloved Botswana, we have created more digital solutions since the lockdown than in thelast 10 years.   With political will, this can mark a new dawn for Africa, setting the continent
towards sustainable and inclusive development. It does not make sense that the richest
continent in the world in terms of mineral resources can have most of its inhabitants living on
foreign and government handouts. Many young people in the continent have stood up andproposed brilliant solutions to the global challenges we are facing. Clearly, Africa has talented
and skilled problem solvers who can be its most valuable resource if offered a creative outlet.  
COVID-19 appears to have made a stronger case for digital transformation for businesses andgovernments than endless conferences and workshops on the Fourth Industrial Revolution overthe last 3 years. The need for increased investments in Research, Science and Technology andInnovation (RSTI) in Africa cannot be emphasised enough if Africa is to prosper in the Digital
Economy. In my beloved Botswana, different administrations over the last 20 years have waxed
poetic about creating a knowledge-diversified economy, yet we still invest less than 1% of our
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on R&D. It is an open secret that countries shaping the global
economy invest heavily in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Education
and Research.
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9Covid-19 Article

Covid-19 Article

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

If African leaders allow the gap to widen, then Africa will forever be a consumers’ continent.
Everyone focuses on their own in times of crisises, so we need to build 21st  century skills to allow
us to tackle our own problems. COVID-19 has revealed a lot of abnormalities in our old normal.
If we do not change, I will play the video of the Ghanaian dancing pallbearers for humanity. I do
not know about you, but I would rather risk shaping the future than go back to how things were.
It would be remiss of me if I did not commend health care workers around the world, you may notcarry weapons, but you are our frontline soldiers on the global war against COVID-19.   I salute you all!

South Sudanese refugees practice social distancing as they await toaccess food rations at a distribution centre in Kakuma camp in Kenya

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Climate/Environment
ArticleClimate/Environment Article

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Climate and Environment Commitment-The African
Conundrum
By Uzochukwu G. O. Okafor- Coordinator-African
Technology Policy Studies Network - Namibia ChapterC

limate change encompasses different terminologies, global warming, climate crisis,climate emergency, all these to draw attention to its urgency. The world has accordingly
taken notice with the UN environment conference, in Stockholm in 1972 culminatingwith the adoption in 2015, by the UN General Assembly, of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable
Development. Sustainability has three pillars: Environmental, Social and Economic (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Relationships between social, environmental and economic
sustainability, (Justice Mensah & Sandra Ricart Casadevall (2019)

Climate change affects Africa the most under all scenarios above 1.5○ C. (Edem E. Selormey
and Carolyn Logan, 2019). Okonjo-Iwuala, 2020 states that “devastating cyclones affected
3 million people in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe in the spring of 2018. GDP
exposure in African nations vulnerable to extreme climate patterns is projected to growfrom $895 billion in 2018 to about $1.4 trillion in 2023—nearly half of the continent’s GDP.”The cruel irony facing Africa is illustrated in figure 2 below, showing Carbon Emission by income
group and by region. The possible trend on impact of climate change on sub-Saharan Africa’s
GDP by 2100 over a range of global warming between 0○ to 3○ C is shown in figure 3 below.
All these illustrate the conundrum Africa faces with respect to SDG’s and climate change
agreements.  These notwithstanding, Africa must be committed to transitioning to a green economy.

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11Climate/Environment Article

Figure 2: Global CO2 emission by income and region (Hannah Ritchie and
Max Roser (2020)

Figure 3: Impact of climate change on Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP
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Climate/Environment Article

Challenges of Climate Change in Africa
Africa suffers significant infrastructure deficit in the areas of roads, energy, clean water, health,education and agriculture. Bridging this infrastructure deficit, while limiting CO2 emission is amajor challenge. The development of infrastructure will require a lot of construction, involving
extraction of construction materials, mining of ores and minerals, increased use of fossil fuel andbiomass. Construction works worldwide, use 50% of all resources, 45% of global energy, 40%of global water, and 70% of all timber. The shares of global resource extraction have shifted
considerably in the last 30 years. Asia’s share increased from 40% in 1980 to 60% in 2011,(Larsgöran Strandberg and Sara Trulsson, 2020). Africa is likely to experience the same scenario.
Africa has weak institutions and governance, coupled with weak legal and regulatory
frameworks (AMCEN, 2011).  Strong institutions and strong environmental legislation create thecapacity to secure the environment from industrial harm. Weak governance is compoundedby ignorance and lack of awareness about individual contribution to CO2 emission. According
to Washington Post study, 2019, only about 28% of Africans were “climate change literate.”
An example is this author. Before writing this article, the author was oblivious of his
significant share of contribution to global warming. With ecological footprint of 5.9, CO2
emission of 9.7 tons per year, 57% of total ecological footprint, 34 earths will be needed
if the rest of the people live like the author. (figure 3). To adapt and mitigate the impact
of climate change, it will require a huge financial outlay and adequate technical capacity.

Figure 4: The carbon dioxide foot print of the author
Africa, unfortunately, lacks the financial resources and technical capacity to face the climatechange challenges. A World Bank study (UNEP, 2019), stated that Africa is already committed
to adaptation costs in the range of USD 7-15bn per year by 2020, with an annual increase of
7% each year after. By 2050,   adaptation costs could hover around USD 35 billion per year.
One possible solution to funding would be to access funds from international organizations.
Unfortunately, most African countries lack the technical capacity to develop fundable projects.

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13COVID-19 & Youth Article

Youth Vital in Fight Against COVID-19 Scourge in Africa
By ATPS Team,
By now, the Coronavirus scourge (COVID-19) has affected nearly every continent, forced countries
into states of emergency, sent individuals into varying levels of quarantine and isolation, andshuttered businesses and schools. But wait, there’s a lesser-known story that also deservesattention: of youth rising up to meet the challenges of this pandemic. They are not just sitting idly by
waiting for the worst to come; throughout the continent, they are hard at work providing solutions
to help reduce the spread of the virus, and address the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic.
It is encouraging to see young people across Africa leading the way in the fight against coronavirus,
and stepping up to help their communities. They know the future depends on their actions.
The youth represent energy, creativity and innovation and should be beacons of hopethat can support the community at all times especially in times of such crisis. Throughindividual acts and collective action, young people are reclaiming power in the face of
this pandemic and the powerlessness it makes us all feel. Youth-led civil society andmovements are acting on an unprecedented scale. Youth are mobilizing communities toprotect themselves, and supporting governments safety and health regulations across Africa.

#211CHECK Collective Initiative By Nelson Kwaje (South Sudan)
During this dangerous time of uncertainty, misinformation about the Coronavirus can cost lives.
That is why youth organizations and young people are turning to online platforms and digital media
to share correct information and recommendations to dispel common myths. Nelson Kwaje, a 28year old young man from South Sudan, with a background in technology and peace building, hasmade this one of his missions.
Nelson is a Program Director for DefyHateNow, a community organization based in South Sudan,
with branches in Cameroon, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia. Nelson helped to initiate the #211CHECK
collective, which is a digital community of youth working in various fields who collaborate tofight misinformation and raise awareness on coronavirus prevention and protection, using the#COVID19SS hashtag. Their work exposes false facts, disputed and unfounded remedies or cures,
doctored images and any and all pieces of information that could confuse and mislead the public.
Thanks to them, truth is replacing lies so that people can act in their own best interests, andsociety’s as a whole.

Ndlovu Youth Choir (South Africa)
The arts may seem like a luxury at a time of crisis when, in fact, performances can be part ofthe solution. Some young people have used their creative talents to support the COVID-19
response. The novel nature of the virus has caused a spread of speculation and unverified
information regarding the virus’ spread, symptoms and potential treatments. The Ndlovu YouthChoir, a South African youth choir known for reaching the finale of America’s Got Talent lastyear, composed, performed and filmed a musical rendition of the World Health Organization’s(WHO) Coronavirus safety advice. Featuring translations of certain key points in various South
African languages, the choir composed this song to ensure that the various communities in theircountry were well informed and safe during the spread of this pandemic. The video, posted
on Twitter, was even shared by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Secretary-General!
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COVID-19 & Youth Article

Ndlovu Youth Choir (South Africa) in a perfomance

Harnessing The Power Of Communications
Jama Jack is the Head of Communications of the Medical Research Council Unit for the only
COVID-19 testing center in Gambia. For her, one of the biggest local challenges is the information
gap, so she created posters and videos busting myths about Coronavirus and published thematerials in various Gambian languages. Similarly, editor, producer, and presenter Robert
Mukondiwa provides daily updates to Zimbabweans (and the rest of the world) about his country’s
efforts to tackle COVID-19. Through informative programming at Zimpapers TV Network, Robert
is influencing others to engage in helpful behavior changes such as social distancing and selfisolation.
Then there is James Smart and Kizito Gamba in Nairobi, who are leading a team of young
journalists under Tazama World Media. They are putting their lives on the line to bring out
compelling stories on the effect of coronavirus among the extreme poor in South Africa, anddetailing why quick, robust and well-thought responses are required.
Mathare Environmental One-Stop in Kenya
Isaac Muasa of Mathare Environmental One Stop in Kenya has teamed up with the UN-Habitat,
the Norwegian Embassy and the Canadian High Commission to support residents of Mathareslums to stop spread of Coronavirus in the neighborhood. The group has begun a hand-washingprogram meant to protect Mathare residents from COVID-19. As a result of the initiative, children
and young people make up the majority of the people who are washing their hands more
frequently now.

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15COVID-19 & Youth Article

Cameroon’s “One Person, One Sanitizer” Initiative
In Cameroon, Achalake Christian, the coordinator of Local Youth Corner, has launched the “OnePerson, One Sanitizer” operation to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, especially amongst thepoor. He’s working with young people to produce and distribute free, homemade hand sanitizers
using World Health Organization standards. He has teamed up with people of goodwill, a coalitionof youth civil society organizations, medical doctors, pharmacists and a laboratory scientist.

Saving Local Food Vendors in South Africa
Sibongumusa Zuma is causing waves with his humanitarian action in South Africa. Acrossthe country, street hawkers have been prohibited from trading during the national lockdown.
It is hard for everyone but for the street vendors it’s harder. To help ease the impact, he hasorganized young people to donate groceries to street hawkers. Zuma says that as young people,
they cannot sit down and fold their arms knowing very well that there are people who used tomake a living by selling food on the streets, whose businesses are closing due to the lockdown.

A youth-led initiative of assembling alcohol-based hand sanitisers

Africa Youth Transforming Africa Initiative
In Botswana, Pretty Thogo is coordinating a platform that brings together the World Bank’s
Africa Youth Transforming Africa Initiative and the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa.They are organizing regular roundtables for youth to discuss development issues, and spark some youth-grown solutions to influence policymaking in Africa.

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COVID-19 & Youth Article

During its first online roundtable in April, the initiative featured medical and communications
experts, who helped young Africans to learn more about COVID-19 and how to identify trusted
sources of information.
Similarly, with the leadership of Immy Mulekatete and Dr. Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza, Youth
Voices Rwanda is hosting Twitter and Facebook live discussions on the impactthat COVID-19 has had in their communities and the role that they can play in containing its spread.
Governments should put in place measures and mechanisms to facilitate coordinated, organized and impactful youth engagement in the fight against Coronavirus. Most importantly, young
people must realize that they have a critical part in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic - knowing that the spread of the virus is a threat to people, livelihoods, development and stability.
Youth should work with governments and diverse partners to stop transmission of the virus
and to keep everyone safe and take measures that will bolster the fight against the pandemic.
As Doug Ragan, a UN-Habitat’s Child and Youth specialist has said and it is true,“youth are Africa’s greatest asset and the future of the continent depends on them.”

A pictorial on how to avoid contracting the Coronavirus

www.atpsnet.org 											

17Innovation Feature

Innovation

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Kenyan University Students Innovate to Fill Covid-19
Ventilator Shortage
Interview with Mr. Moses Odhiambo-Lead Innovator

A demonstration of how the ventilator works

1. What was the motivation behind this innovation?

T

his started off as a discussion with Mr. Avin Galot who is the founder of Wazi Group, anInnovative incubator that deals with custom need based solutions. Avin asked me a simple
question when the numbers in China started rising; his worry was what would happen if
such a scenario would hit Kenya. Thus the idea to work on a low cost ventilator was mooted.

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Innovation

Innovation Feature

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

2. Could you kindly explain how this venitlator works?
The Ventilator is currently in it’ssecond prototype. The feature it
has currently, is the ability to regulate
the intake of oxygen and theexhalation. So far it has managed
to sustain this process in an initial
48 hour test run and did so perfectly.
The next iterations have to deal
with the monitoring aspect andwill include screens to to track allpressure sensors and valves.
The ventilator prototype during its assembly process

3. How has the process been…coming up with this innovation, right from theconceptualization to prototype to the final product?
Like any other innovation we think up at Wazi Group, the process has been eye opening especiallysince this is such a critical equipment. A big percentage of the development constituted working
closely with medical doctors who use this equipment on a daily basis. This has helped shape ourdevelopment process positively.
4. Who is best suited to use this innovation?
From the beginning, this was built for the doctor in the ICU to use and yet portable enough for apatient to carry home.
5. What challenges have you encountered so far in the course of coming up with thisinnovation?
Most of the challenges come from funding the project yourself and ensuring that we get most of thematerials locally to be able to justify mass production and ease of maintenance.
6. How has the reception been? (From the general public, government, and stakeholders?
Has your innovation wonany awards either locally/internationally?
The response has been really encouraging with calls for collaboration from major universities andcoverage in both local and international media.

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19Innovation

Innovation Feature

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

7. What significant impact has your innovation had on its users?
We are a couple of weeks away from presenting it to KEBS and our hope that this will be astarting point to encourage other innovators to come up with our own solutions.
8. Is your innovation affordable to its users?
Yes this was the core principle of this project. Our main aim is to keep this under KES 50,000.
9. What are your future plans in regards to your innovation?
To get this to as many health facilities as possible within the country and also the region.

The ventilator connected to a dummy patient for demonstration purposes

20 											www.atpsnet.org

Opportunities

Opportunities

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

University of Toronto (Canada) Art andPostdoctoral Fellowship Programme 2021

Science

The Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to provide outstanding recent
doctoral students advanced training in their field of study. These fellowships are notdiscipline specific, but rather can be held in any department or research unit across theFaculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto. Applicants must secure sponsorshipof a supervisor, or supervisors, from the professoriate within the Faculty of Arts & Science.
Application Deadline: 1st December 2020 at 11:59pm EST
For more information please visit:https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/research-supports-services/findfunding#as-postdoctoral-fellowship-program

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2021
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, isAfrica’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation. It awards crucial commercialisation
support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to local
challenges, demonstrating the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality oflife and economic development.
The aim of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is to stimulate, celebrate and reward
innovation and entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Application Deadline: 14 September 2020 at 4pm GMT+1 (London)
How to apply:
All applications must be submitted via the online grant system, available here: https://grants.
raeng.org.uk. You must register though the system before you can apply. The application form
has six sections and will take approximately one and a half to two hours to complete.

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21Opportunities

Opportunities

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training
TWAS offers fellowships to young scientists in developing countries to enable them to spend
three to 12 months at a research institution in a developing country other than their own. The
purpose of these fellowships is to enhance the research capacity of promising scientists,
especially those at the beginning of their research career, helping them to foster links for further
collaboration.
Application Deadline: 1st October 2020
For more information please visit:https://onlineforms.twas.org/apply/139

WAAW Foundation Scholarships
WAAW Foundation awards annual scholarships to students who demonstrate need and provetheir status as full-time students in a STEM-related course in an African University. Recipients
will be required to start a STEM Outreach Chapter at their university.
WAAW Foundation is pleased to announce its 2020/2021 scholarships, offering $500 for needbased undergraduate female African students admitted to a University, College or institute ofhigher learning in Africa.
Application Deadline: November 2nd 2020
How to Apply: Applications must be submitted to scholarship@waawfoundation.org or
lucy@waawfoundation.org

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Photo Gallery

Picture Gallery

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Phase 1
Final Close-out Workshop in Dakar, Senegal-11th to 13th
February 2020

Dr. Nicholas Ozor (centre holding microphone) addresing the forum during
one of the sessions

Felix Musila, ATPS
Communications Officer
attending the workshop

www.atpsnet.org 											

23Picture Gallery

Photo Gallery

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

ATPS Executive Director, Dr. Nicholas Ozor (Left) and the African Union’s
Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, Prof. Sarah
Anyang Agbor (Right) when he paid her a courtesy call at her offices at the AU
Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

24 											www.atpsnet.org

National Chapter Coordinators

National Chapter Coordinators

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

ATPS NATIONAL CHAPTER COORDINATORS
Australia
Mr. David Doepel
Chair, Africa Research Group, Murdoch
University
90 South Street
MurdochWestern Australia 6150
Tel: +61418912287
Email: d.doepel@murdoch.edu.au
Benin
Dr. Roch L. Mongbo
Senior Lecturer & Researcher
FIDESPRA/Univ. of Abomey Calava and
CEBEDES – XU dodo
02 BP 778
Cotonou, Benin
Tel: +229-21304139
Cell : +229 95 96 64 46
Email: rochl_mongbo@yahoo.fr
Botswana
Mpho Thabang Rapoo
Botswana University of Agriculture andTechnology,
Plot 10071 Boseja, Palapye, Botswana
Postal address: Private Bag 0016,
Palapye, Botswana
Email: mtrapoo@gmail.com; rapoom@
biust.ac.bw
Tel: (+267) 72 865 060; (+267) 493
1826
Burkina Faso
Dr. Benoit Kabore
Université de Ouagadougou
01 BP 4487
Ouagadougou 01
Burkina Faso
Tel: 226 812008/380715
Email: benkabor2003@yahoo.fr
Cameroon
Prof. Sylvester Ndeso Atanga
Lecturer, Epidemology & Public HealthFaculty of Health Sciences
University of Buea
P.O. Box 63
South West Province
Republic of Cameroon
Tel: + 237-75816047

Cote d’Ivore
Prof. Arsène Kouadio,
Associate Professor, University ofAbi¬djan-Cocody ; Researcher, CIRES
Director, Laboratoire de croissance
Economique
Executive Director, Institut pour leDével¬oppement (IPD),
Coordinator, ATPS Côe d’Ivoire,
Coordinator, RIA Côte d’Ivoire,
Fellow Researcher, AERC, Poverty
Eco¬nomic Policy (PEP),
Cocody, Boulelevard Latrille
08 B.P. 1295 Abidjan 08, Côte d’Ivoire
Tel : +225 22 44 60 99
Fax: +225 22 48 82 84
Mobile : +225 07 98 46 80 / 05 95 97 91
E-mail: arsenekk@yahoo.fr
arsenekouadio@hotmail.com
Egypt
Ms. Manal Moustafa Samra
Focal Point Coordinator
45 Noubar Street, Bab El-Louk
8th Floor, Apt 29,Cairo
Egypt
Tel: +20105005284
Email: mmsamra@gmail.com
Ethiopia
Mr. Wondwossen Belete,
National Coordinator
Director of Intellectual Property Protection
and Technology Transfer,
Ethiopian Industrial Property Organization(EIPO)
Email: wondwossenbel@yahoo.com
GambiaVacantGhana
Dr. Fred Amu-Mensah
Senior Research Scientist
CSIR Water Research Institute
P.O. Box M.32
Accra, Ghana
Tel: +233-24-4748197
Fax: +233 21 77 7170
Email: assabil@aim.com;

Kenya
Dr. Stephen Karimi
Director of Quality Assurance , National
Commission for Science, Technology
and Innovation (NACOSTI)
P.O. Box 30623, 00100 Nairobi-Kenya
Tel: +254727923357
Email:karimisteve@gmail.com
Lesotho
Mr. Denis Sekoja Phakisi
Acting National Coordinator
Manufacturing Manager
Loti Brick
P.O. Box 8008, Maseru 100, Lesotho
Tel: +266 5885 3389
Fax: +266 22310071
Email: ds.phakisi@lycos.com
Liberia
Dr. Wollor Emmanuel Topor
National Coordinator
Acting Dean
College of Science and Technology
University of Liberia
Tel: + 231-6875802
Email: wollortopor@yahoo.com
Malawi
Dr Kingdom M. Kwapata
Bunda College, P.O. Box 219,
Lilongwe, Malawi
Tel: +265 999195477
E-mail: kwapata@yahoo.com
Mali
Dr. Sidiki Gabriel Dembele
Agrochimie/Agroforesterie et Fertilitédes sols
Bureau Ouest-Africain d’Appui
Organisa¬tional et de Technologies
Appropiées
B.P. E 3730, Bamako, Mali
Tél. : (223) 226 2012
Fax : (223) 226 2504
Cell : (223) 71 3806
Email: sidikigabriel@hotmail.com orousmanenia2000@yahoo.fr;
filifingdem@yahoo.fr;

www.atpsnet.org 											

25National Chapter Coordinators

National Chapter Coordinators

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

ATPS NATIONAL CHAPTER COORDINATORS
MoroccoProf. Dr. Saïd Boujraf
National Coordinator
Director of the Clinical Neuroscience
Laboratory
Department of Biophysics and Clinical
MRI Methods
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Fez
BP. 1893; Km 2.200, Sidi Hrazem Road,Fez 30000, MoroccoTel: +212 667 780 442
Fax: +212 535 619 321
E-mail: sboujraf@gmail.com
MozambiqueEng. Lourino Alberto Chemane
ICT and Planning Advisor
Executive Secretariat, ICT Policy
Commission
Bairro da Coop
Rua Particular Dr. Antonio de Almeida
61 R/C Direito, Maputo
MoçambiqueTel: +258 21 309398
Fax: +258 21 302289
Cell : +258 82 3110700
Email: chemane@infopol.gov.mz;
lourino.chemane@mctestp.gov.mz;
NigeriaProf. Michael C. Madukwe
Professor, Department of Agricultural
Extension
University of Nigeria
Nsukka, Enugu State
Nigeria
Tel: +234 42 771019
Fax: +234 42 771500
Cell: +234 803 700 6968
Email: michael.madukwe@unn.edu.ng,
madukwemichael@yahoo.com
Prof. Femi Olokesusi
Nigerian Institute for Social andEconomic Research (NISER)
P.M.B 5 UI Post Office
Oyo Road, Ojoo, Ibadan, Nigeria
Tel: +234 2 8103345/8102904
Fax: +234 2 2413121
Email: femioloke@yahoo.com

RwandaDr. Marie-Christine Gasingirwa,
Director General, Science, Technology
and Research,
Ministry of Education, Rwanda.
Email: cgasingirwa@mineduc.gov.rw
Namibia
Surveyor Uzochukwu Okafor
Surveyor- General
Directorate of Survey and Mapping
Ministry of Land Reform
Tel: +264(0)2965036
Mobile: +264811223311
Email: uzo.okafor@mlr.gov.na

Sierra Leone
Dr. Kelleh Gbawuru Mansaray
Dean of Faculty, Faculty of Engineering
at Fourah Bay College, University of
Sierra Leone.
Mount Auroel
PMB Freetown Sierra Leone
Mobile: +23278476527
Email: mansaraykg@gmail.com
SenegalDr. Papa Alioune Sarr Ndiaye
ESP BP 15475 DAKAR Fann
SénégalTél : Bureau (221) 864 54 18
Fax : (221) 864 21 43
Domicile (221) 820 23 88
Cellulaire (221) 634 58 88
Email : papaas.ndiaye@ucad.edu.sn
papaas.ndiye@gmail.com
South Africa
Professor Mark Swilling
Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1,
Matieland, 7602, South Africa
Cell: +27(0)83-459 7417
Tel: +27(0)21-881 3196
Fax: +27(0)21 - 881 3294
Email: swilling@sun.ac.za
mark.Swilling@sopmp.sun.ac.za
Sudan
Mrs. Nadia Hassan Sidahmed
Economic Studies Department

Industrial Research & Consultancy
Cen¬tre (IRCC) Sudan
Tel: +249 911449106
Email: nadiahsh@yahoo.co.uk
Swaziland
Dr. Musa Dube
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Swaziland
Luyengo Campus
P. O. Luyengo, Swaziland
Email: madube@uniswa.sz
Tanzania
Dr. Amos Nungu
Director General
Tanzania Commission for Science andTechnology
P.O. Box 4302,
Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania.
Tel: +255222774023
Email: amos.nungu@costech.or.tz;
amos.nungu@gmail.com
United Kingdom
Mrs. Martha Ada Ugwu
National Coordinator
59 Highgrove Road
Walderslade, Chatham
Kent, ME5 7SF, UK
Tel: +4401634310389/07985476289
Email: Martha.ugwu@yahoo.co.uk
UgandaDr. John Okuonzi
National Coordinator
Kyambogo University
Faculty of Engineering, Department ofElectrical and Electronic Engineering,
P.O. Box 1, Kyambogo, Kampala,
UgandaTel: +256 782 353034
jokuonzi@kyu.ac.ug or
okuonzijohnie@yahoo.com
United states of America.
Dr. Anthony C. Ikeme
National Coordinator
President & CEO
Clintriad Pharma Services

26 											www.atpsnet.org

National Chapter Coordinators

National Chapter Coordinators

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

ATPS NATIONAL CHAPTER COORDINATORS
102 Pickering Way, Suite 200
Exton, PA 19341
Tel: 484.753.3405
Cell: 215.380.9920
Fax: 610.384.5455
Email: aikeme@clintriad.com
ZambiaProf. Francis Yamba
Director, Centre for Energy
Environ¬ment and Engineering Zambia(CEEEZ) Ltd, 176 Parirenyatwa Road
Suite B. Fairview, P/B E721
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel/Fax: +260 211 223118

Email: ceeez2015@gmail.com;
ceeez@zamnet.zm
Zimbabwe
Mr. Benson Zwizwai
Deputy Director
Institute of Development Studies
P. O. Box 880
Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 4 333341/3
Fax: +263 4 333345
Cell: +263 912245614
Email: bmutzwizwai@yahoo.com

www.atpsnet.org 											

27African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
8th Floor, Chancery Building, Valley Road
P.O. Box 10081-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20271 4092; Fax: +254 20 2714028
Email: info@atpsnet.org
Url: http://www.atpsnet.org
Skype: ATPS Network

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