African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, has urged African countries to dedicate one per cent of their GDP to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to meet the African Union Agenda 2063.
The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 is a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 year.
The agenda builds on and seeks to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable development.
The President of AUST, Prof. Kingston Nyanma-pfene, gave the advice last Tuesday in Abuja during the review of Africa Capacity Reports (ACRs) 2017 that focuses on building capacity in STI for Africa’s transformation.
According to him, African countries should even set a more ambitious target of up to three per cent of Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
He explained that ACRs supported the entrenchment of capacity development in Africa’s development agenda.
He said that each report was meant to narrate all the critical capacity dimensions that were pertinent to Africa’s growth and economic transformation.
“ The ACR2017 recognises that with the adoption of agenda 2063, the commitment of Africa to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Industrialisation Strategy, STI is critical.
“Furthermore, the 23rd Ordinary Session of African Union Heads of State and Government Summit adopted a 10-year Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (STSA2024) in June 2014.
“The strategy is part of the long-term people-centred Africa’s development blueprint, agenda 2063,” he said.
The president said that the ACRs2017 recommended coordinated collective effort to identify the critical STI skills essential for countries’ sustainable growth.
According to him, private sector and development partners ought to support and complement governments’ efforts by providing funding, investing in critical skills, and promoting sharing of good practices.
“Creating an enabling environment for local scientific research institutions and think-tanks to be the voice of scientific authority in Africa,’’ he said.
He said that regional database of critical skills for agenda 2063 ought to be established in support of STI from national skills inventories.
The president said that more regional and international Centres of Excellence in areas critical to Africa’s STI development ought to be created.
He said that there was need to develop institutional capacity by investing heavily in high-quality universities, state-of-the-art and well-equipped laboratories, ICT infrastructure and research funding.
According to him, the continent needs to intensify efforts toward bridging the gender gap by promoting participation and leadership by women in STI.
He added that the African countries ought to implement coherent strategies for regional STI systems as “nested networks” of national STI systems with differentiated capacities.
The Regional Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation  (UNESCO), Mr  Benoit Sossou, said that ACRs2017 would go a long way to assist African continent if the recommendations would be implemented.
Sossou, who was represented by Dr Enang Moma, the National Professional Officer, Science in UNESCO promised that the organisation would intensify efforts in sourcing for international financial donors to support Africa toward STI development.