African Experts Appeal for More S&T Funding

Developments in science and technology in Africa are lagging behind all other continents. This situation has forced technocrats within the African Union and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) to enter into dialogue with their member states to appeal for more public funding for science, technology and innovation. Fortunately, these efforts have begun to bear fruit as most African leaders are now supporting the initiative. For instance, Kenya’s Permanent Secretary (PS) for science and technology, Prof Crispus Kiamba, urged  African countries to allocate at least one percent of their Gross Domestic Product  (GDP) to S&T research and innovation to unlock the continent’s development potentials.

Speaking at the Third Ordinary Session of African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology  in Kenya’s Coastal Town of Mombasa, the PS said "African Union member-states should emulate Asian Tigers and EU countries which allocate equivalent of four percent of their GDP to science and technology." He said that although Kenya had increased its allocation for S&T from Shs 70 million in the last financial year to Shs 200 this period, it was still not enough.

The conference was attended by leading technology experts, development partners, diplomats and African state ministers in charge of science and technology.

For more information contact Daniel Otunge (d.otunge@cgiar.org ) of ISAAA AfriCenter.