In today’s increasingly knowledge-driven world, science and technology (S&T) are inseparable twin keys to progress and industrial growth as against resource endowment of the past. Apparently, without scientific knowledge and its application the economy of a nation or an organisation, such a nation remains stagnant or declines.
As S&T creates new knowledge, knowledge replicates itself. The more people have access to knowledge, the more knowledge is produced. Globally, most countries now devote an increasing proportion of their resources to S&T and to research and development (R&D) in an attempt to build competitive advantage, or to catch up with others who have done so.
Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs) and emerging nations such as Brazil, China and India, where sustained economic growth have been achieved, indicate a strong determination to build indigenous science and technology capacities. It is evident from R&D expenditures and the number of researchers per million inhabitants.
Osita Ogbu, executive director, African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) network reveal that NICs spend $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. Ogbu identified unwitting acceptance of technological determinism among Africans, certainly among many African policy makers to drive S & T.
According to Ogbu, “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-crafted science and technology policies.”
The Internet is facilitating rapid opening up and integration of national economies. It is the engine of economic liberalization and associated developments in international trade. As consumers of science and technology, we (Africans) are fascinated by gadgets, the speed of these equipments, tools as “toys” for accomplishing our daily chores. As fascinated as we may be about the tools, we never stop to marvel and understand the science behind the tools.
Following recent economic growth in many African countries, including Nigeria which suggests sheer ability to sustain science through domestic funding, dearth of scientists and research capacity is threatening to reel back that economic growth, observers have pointed out.
The gross domestic product (GDP) of many African countries is growing at a rate of 5–8 percent annually, amounting to almost doubling of GDPs every decade, according to Chris Whitty, chief scientific advisor and director, research & evidence, UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Whereas in China, South Asia and South-East Asia, where there was a surplus of scientists, engineers, doctors and teachers trained at the early stages of countries’ development, in most African countries, there are up to 1,000 times fewer scientists than in Asian countries in the equivalent state of development, Whitty pointed out.
“This is potentially a major block to the development of middle-income countries in Africa. The capacity of science in African countries, by African scientists, is going to be essential,” Whitty said.
He admitted that capacity building is very difficult as practitioners still do not know what works and what does not. He pointed out that capacity building has to be long-term, as the time it takes for a primary school child to develop into an active adult researcher takes decades. According to him, it would also require a multi-disciplinary approach
“There are many aspects of scientific discovery that affect Africa,” said Whitty, citing examples of sweet potatoes enhanced with vitamin A, groundwater mapping, and using solar power to charge mobile phones and other devices.
ALEXANDER CHIEJINA
