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Future Africa Urges Stakeholders to Forge a Cohesive Strategy for Advancing African STI Landscape
Dr. Farai Kapfudzaruwa, Research and Strategic Partnerships Manager at Future Africa, University of Pretoria, advocates for a unified African forum to craft a comprehensive strategy aimed at fostering positive change in the African Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) landscape. Despite the critical importance of STI sectors, Africans have limited influence in setting agendas and priorities within these domains.
Across Africa, the majority of funding for scientific research comes from external sources, such as the UK, the US, Asia, and international institutions like the World Bank. Unfortunately, domestic funding for STI initiatives within African states remains minimal, with sub-Saharan Africa’s expenditure on research and development as a percentage of GDP hovering around 0.3% for the past three decades—far below the global average.
This lack of adequate funding leads to a significant gap in African scientific research, where progress is often stymied in the absence of external support. Consequently, Africa struggles to produce enough scholars and PhD graduates, with only 198 researchers per million people compared to the global average of 1150.
Despite these challenges, there have been notable improvements in African scientific outputs and collaborative initiatives over the past two decades. However, the overall landscape remains fragmented and underfunded, limiting Africa’s influence on global scientific challenges.
In response to these issues, Future Africa, the University of Pretoria’s pan-African collaborative research platform, has intensified efforts to strengthen the African STI ecosystem. Through partnerships with organizations like the International Science Council (ISC), Future Africa aims to redefine the value proposition of African STI by addressing capacities, resources, and opportunities.
At the Science Forum South Africa in December 2023, African STI leaders convened to discuss shaping a value system for science and scientific practice that aligns with the continent’s context. To further these efforts, Future Africa proposes the establishment of an African STI leadership forum—a collaborative space bringing together academia, science policy experts, STI ministries, funders, and the private sector.
This forum will facilitate regular meetings to tackle specific issues, influence development initiatives, raise awareness, and advocate for Africa’s priorities globally. By fostering collaboration between academia, government, and the private sector, Future Africa aims to unlock Africa’s scientific potential and assert its influential role in shaping the global narrative of science and innovation.