PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
ASTII workshop underway in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - A three-day workshop to launch the African Science Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Phase Two, got underway Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to a statement from NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency.
According to the statement, made available to PANA here, “the workshop has two broad objectives: the launch of the African Innovation Outlook Series and the second phase of the ASTII programme and capacity building for existing and potential entrants to ASTII phase 2.“
Other objectives of the workshop include: to consolidate the outcomes of the first phase, share lessons learnt, with a view to addressing the challenges encountered, discuss the sustainability and reliability of an ASTII data infrastructure and agree on a road map for scaling up the initiative to all AU member states as well as widening the scope of the project.
The ASTII Initiative is a programme within the African Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA).
CPA was adopted in 2005 by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) as a framework for science, technology and innovation (STI) to respond to the socio-economic challenges facing the continent.
PANA reported that the workshop opened with participants stressing the need to sustain and build upon the success recorded in the survey conducted by the 19 countries that participated in the project.
“One reality we all know is that when it comes to information, when it comes to data and statistics not only for science and technology, we often look outside Africa. Today, it gives me pleasure that we have developed an African Innovation Outlook Series,” Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong, Director, Programme Implementation and Coordination Directorate of NEPAD, said.
The African Innovation Outlook Series will be formally made public on Tuesday.
It is the first of such initiative which captured comprehensive information on Science Technology and Innovations (STI) on the continent.
“The growth of our nations will depend on our investment in science, technology, research and innovations. What we have done is to have a data base on STI. Questions such as, do we have the necessary capacity, adequate funding, infrastructure, capacity building and country performances are answered in the outlook,” Lisinge-Fotabond added.
Also speaking, ASTII faculty member, Prof. Claes Brundenius, said for the first time, Africa now has a standardized indicator that is comparable to any one in the world.
According to him, "it is the most historical survey carried out since 2007 when the initiative on STI was launched in Maputo. We can now see the successful results of the first phase. The various countries have done fantastically well. The enthusiasm, commitment and support given to this initiative by NEPAD as well at country-level contributed immensely to the success story."
The representative of the Ethiopian Minister of Science and Technology, Shunu Tefera said the meeting's objectives, which also aimed at making comprehensive information available was a good step in improving the sector across Africa.
“The answer to development on the continent lies on STI, science skills, manpower development and investments on science infrastructure. STI is the key driver of growth. Countries that continue to invest in knowledge, technology, research and skills will get more reward,” Tefera said.
The Director of African Union Human Resource Science and Technology Division, Vera Ngosi said two new centres will be created in Jomo Kenyatta University in Nairobi, which will focus on STI and the University of Ibadan, southern Nigeria, to cater for life and earth science.
The first phase of the ASTII programme ran from 2007 to 2010 and was designed to serve as a learning mechanism, giving 19 African Union member states the means and opportunity to engage in mutual learning and sharing to improve the measurement of science, technology and innovation.
The 19 participating countries are: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana and Kenya. Others are Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Financial and technical resources for ASTII Initiative came from the participating countries and through a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Participating countries conducted Research and Development (R
According to the statement, made available to PANA here, “the workshop has two broad objectives: the launch of the African Innovation Outlook Series and the second phase of the ASTII programme and capacity building for existing and potential entrants to ASTII phase 2.“
Other objectives of the workshop include: to consolidate the outcomes of the first phase, share lessons learnt, with a view to addressing the challenges encountered, discuss the sustainability and reliability of an ASTII data infrastructure and agree on a road map for scaling up the initiative to all AU member states as well as widening the scope of the project.
The ASTII Initiative is a programme within the African Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA).
CPA was adopted in 2005 by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) as a framework for science, technology and innovation (STI) to respond to the socio-economic challenges facing the continent.
PANA reported that the workshop opened with participants stressing the need to sustain and build upon the success recorded in the survey conducted by the 19 countries that participated in the project.
“One reality we all know is that when it comes to information, when it comes to data and statistics not only for science and technology, we often look outside Africa. Today, it gives me pleasure that we have developed an African Innovation Outlook Series,” Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong, Director, Programme Implementation and Coordination Directorate of NEPAD, said.
The African Innovation Outlook Series will be formally made public on Tuesday.
It is the first of such initiative which captured comprehensive information on Science Technology and Innovations (STI) on the continent.
“The growth of our nations will depend on our investment in science, technology, research and innovations. What we have done is to have a data base on STI. Questions such as, do we have the necessary capacity, adequate funding, infrastructure, capacity building and country performances are answered in the outlook,” Lisinge-Fotabond added.
Also speaking, ASTII faculty member, Prof. Claes Brundenius, said for the first time, Africa now has a standardized indicator that is comparable to any one in the world.
According to him, "it is the most historical survey carried out since 2007 when the initiative on STI was launched in Maputo. We can now see the successful results of the first phase. The various countries have done fantastically well. The enthusiasm, commitment and support given to this initiative by NEPAD as well at country-level contributed immensely to the success story."
The representative of the Ethiopian Minister of Science and Technology, Shunu Tefera said the meeting's objectives, which also aimed at making comprehensive information available was a good step in improving the sector across Africa.
“The answer to development on the continent lies on STI, science skills, manpower development and investments on science infrastructure. STI is the key driver of growth. Countries that continue to invest in knowledge, technology, research and skills will get more reward,” Tefera said.
The Director of African Union Human Resource Science and Technology Division, Vera Ngosi said two new centres will be created in Jomo Kenyatta University in Nairobi, which will focus on STI and the University of Ibadan, southern Nigeria, to cater for life and earth science.
The first phase of the ASTII programme ran from 2007 to 2010 and was designed to serve as a learning mechanism, giving 19 African Union member states the means and opportunity to engage in mutual learning and sharing to improve the measurement of science, technology and innovation.
The 19 participating countries are: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana and Kenya. Others are Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Financial and technical resources for ASTII Initiative came from the participating countries and through a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Participating countries conducted Research and Development (R
