Today’s Investments in Science, Technology and Innovation driven Higher Education will define Africa’s success in 2063

A new narrative has been crafted about Africa, “the land of opportunity defining the future of the world”. Africa is now at its transitions from ‘a problem to be solved to a voice to be heard1’ in the international and global conversations. In a twinkle, everything seems to be positive on the several streets, board rooms and international conferences. Are the Africans in these spaces seeing the same patterns at local level or have ‘curtain blinders’ with ‘colourful’ windows for African elites to commence another century of praises. It is now 58 years since the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now African Union was formed by the African Heads of State. Primarily, the OAU was a political outfit for independence liberation and perhaps fortifying leadership and governance in the early stages of States formation. It had limited economic as well as scientific aspirations for a projected true independent Africa.

The African Union in the last decade has attempted to provide bold decisions to make Africa a competitive continent. In these; political, social and economic aspirations, their achievement will rest on key critical investments. True political independence is attained when the people led have meaningful economic progress. But, doing this requires real investments in science, technology and innovation; this is the game changer of competitiveness and expanded economic progress. In the memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew documented in The Singapore Story book; he made an important observation on how he went by organizing the country; speaking at a rally he made this remark “In ten years we will breed a generation of Malays, educated and with an understanding of the techniques of science and modern industrial management2”. For the earlier part of his memoir recognizes the great observations he earlier had with Harold Wilson at the time he contested for the Office of the Prime Minister of the UK; for his resolve to get Britain going again by using her lead in science and technology was an important part of his campaign.

These illustrations may seem to be far-fetched at the risk of even being sidelined as the usual narratives that have been told, spoken about and reviewed in various policy dialogues as well as conferences. However, I reiterate here that unless there is a strong political will and commitment from the African leadership to invest in science, technology and innovation not from pronouncements of good will but in getting things done fair and square will real progress take shape in the continent. Currently, there are several of economic stimulus and investments under implementation trying to get economies working across the continent but most of these are reacting to the unemployment challenge, breeding necessity entrepreneurs and entrenching import-based commerce as well as imported technologies and solutions. In another book; From Third World to First World, the Singapore Story: 1965-2000, Lee Kuan Yew articulated that “after grappling with the problem of unemployment for years since we first took office in 1959, all of us in the cabinet knew that the only way to survive was to industrialize3”. But, to do that, science, technology and automation had to drive the process. This has continued to underpin development progress to date. In fact, innovation and entrepreneurship are inseparable for achieving competitive advantage.

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