How Africa's scientists will power the next generation of development

Ato Alemayehu Tegenu | Tuesday November 16, 2010 00:00

Good governance and education are strong candidates - as a Minister in Ethiopia's government since 2005 I am immensely proud of our education revolution, which increased numbers of primary school pupils by over 500 percent between 1994/95 and 2008/09.  But for me, the single most versatile solution to Africa's development challenges, from poverty and hunger to disease and resource scarcity, is science.

As Minister of Water and Energy I am convinced that science and the innovations it inspires are critical to managing precious resources, mitigating climate change impacts, and putting Africa in the vanguard of the global transition to renewables.  Most of Africa has around 325 days of strong sunlight a year: that gives us huge solar power potential.   Just last month Africa's first large-scale wind project was announced - a giant network of onshore wind farms in Cape Verde. 

In the next generation, science and the best of new technology - from solar energy to biofuels, new medicines to greener consumer products - can help ensure not only that our continent develops, but that it does so sustainably, with communities and natural habitats protected and enriched by progress, not harmed by it.

And if Ethiopia achieves universal enrolment in primary education, as I am convinced we will, my hope for those pupils' future is clear - to be the next generation of African scientists.

But science for development in Africa must be a responsible science: one that is directed towards improving people's lives; African-led; and vigilant about pre-empting risks and limiting repercussions, with social and environmental considerations built in from the outset.  That is why Africa's first Green Chemistry Congress, hosted in Addis Ababa this month, is so important.  Green chemistry puts responsibility and sustainability at the top of scientists' agenda, placing a premium on reducing the input of materials, energy and cost, preventing hazards, and minimising negative environmental impacts.  The congress will bring together leading scientists under the Pan Africa Chemistry Network, a partnership between the Royal Society of Chemistry, Syngenta and African scientists.

African scientists coming together to develop their own innovative solutions to the continent's challenges - this is what Africa's future should hold.

Change is afoot elsewhere too. Increasingly we are seeing science and technology power development across the continent, with Africans leading the way.  So they should: the growth of science must not fuel brain-drain or impose outside solutions.  Innovation based on local experience is on the rise - government meteorologists recently collaborated with traditional rainmakers in the Luhya community of western Kenya, who for generations have used changes in nature to guide their advice on when farming should start, to identify what and when to plant at a time when weather patterns are becoming more unpredictable due to climate change.

This is a great example of science based knowledge and traditional 'local' knowledge coming together for the benefit of the community.

And the continent's intellectual firepower is increasingly lined up behind tackling the full gamut of Africa's development challenges.

Take hunger.  With 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa's population engaged in agricultural work, making the sector more productive is critical to development.  Scientists, policymakers and development professionals have forged consensus on the need to increase productivity through the practical application of technologies such as fertilisers, new seed varieties and pesticides.

Learning lessons from Asia's agricultural revolution, Africa's will be uniquely 'green' - avoiding Asia's mistakes in terms of environmental impact, and using technology both to drive food productivity and safeguard biodiversity.With Ghana and Malawi as its poster-boys, Africa's Green Revolution is now well underway.  Ghana has raised its food production per capita by more than 80 percent since the 1980s, and is largely self-sufficient in staples. 

Take resource scarcity.  South Africa has developed the world's first 100 percent synthetic coal-to-liquid jet fuel for aeroplanes, saving scarce non-renewables.  Ethiopia saw the launch of the first batch of the Solaris Elettra 85 electric car this year.

 Or take disease.  The Kenya Medical Research Institute has designed a tool that uses weather predictions, information about mosquitoes' reproductive mechanisms, and data on geographical formations to predict where and when surges in malaria will occur.

Let there be no doubt: development-oriented science has enormous potential for Africa.  Across the continent, governments are increasingly recognising that.  Uganda announced a 30 percent wage increase for scientists in its 2010/11 budget - a vital investment when scientists can earn six to 10 times more if they leave Africa.  But by insisting that the science the continent hosts and develops is - like green chemistry - responsible, African governments, scientists and businesses can ensure it delivers for all of Africa.

* By HE Ato Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Water and Energy, Ethiopian Government.