President Paul Kagame has said that for Africa to achieve sustainable economic growth and competitiveness, technology and skills will play an essential role. He was addressing yesterday the opening session of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) currently underway in Dakar, Senegal.
President Kagame said that African should not be left in the wake of technological progress. He added that change should start with mindsets as the pressure is on to catch up with the rest of the world and keep pace.
"We really cannot be satisfied with just ending extreme poverty. Our aim is shared and sustainable prosperity. And the key to that is science and innovation, bound by research."
The President further stressed that technology and skills are lifeblood of economic growth and competitiveness. He called on governments across the continent to continue to invest in the necessary education and infrastructure, including broadband.
President Kagame listed some of the challenges that Africa faces in terms of science and technology including:
A lack of sufficient numbers of science and technology professionals
Financial constraints caused by lack of investment in research and development
Low number of higher education students enrolled in science and engineering
Only one third of researchers are women, the number gets even low with scientists and engineers which leads to inadequate use of human resources
To address some of the above-mentioned challenges, President Kagame pointed out that Rwanda is implementing a national science policy meant to contribute to economic growth by strengthening knowledge creation and building a culture of innovation. He further revealed that the country will soon launch the Rwanda chapter of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and establish the global headquarters for both AIMs and the Next Einstein Forum in Kigali.
"Africa cannot accumulate wealth merely by consuming technologies produced elsewhere. The purpose of initiatives like Kigali Innovation City is to unlock value by better adapting technology to our economic and social context, as well as our current and future needs," the President said.
Speaking on a Presidential panel, President Macky Sall of Senegal thanked President Kagame for his tireless efforts to find homegrown solutions to solve development challenges; and for his leadership in innovation and technology - especially through being at the forefront of initiatives like Smart Africa.
Taking place in Africa for the first time, the Next Einstein Forum is held every two years to discuss science and technology as the centre of global development efforts. This year, the forum gathers over 700 participants from 80 countries to discuss how best Africa can emerge by leveraging science and technology potentials.
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