Science, technology and innovation, as well as human resource development are crucial in Africa, a continent, who has the greatest potential on earth, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Science and Technology in Society forum ( STS ) held in Yokohama on Wednesday as part of the TICAD 7.
The Science and Technology in Society forum STS ) is one of the largest and most influential non-profit organisations established in 2004 by Koji Omi, former Japanese Minister of Finance. The forum aims to strengthen cooperation between Japan and Africa in science, technology and innovation.
Present were the Mr Yasutoshi Nishimura, Deputy Assistant Cabinet Secretary, President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (http://AfDB.org), Koji Omi, founder and president of the forum STS and Asako Omi, member of the Japanese House of Representatives.
"South Africa supports the focus on science, technology and innovation as a priority theme for TICAD 7given its great potential to accelerate African development through mutually beneficial partnerships with Japan, President Ramaphosa told participants.
"The forum STS successfully changed the global discourse on the role of science in development, we seek the forum's support in changing the discourse on Africa's role in science and innovation,' Ramaphosa concluded.
Adesina shared insights into the Bank's work and support for the training and development of the next generation of scientists. Since 2005, the Bank has financed over USD 2 billion in support of education, offering educational opportunities to 6 million students.
"We are proud of our investment in supporting the establishment of the Regional Centre of Excellence in Kigali in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, which offers master's degree courses in ICT . I am delighted that all the students who graduated from the university have 100% employment, including setting up businesses,' Adesina said in his keynotes.
The Bank supported the creation of digital parks ICT in Senegal and Cape Verde and is collaborating with the Rockefeller Foundation, Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn and Safaricom to establish coding centres in several countries.
Adesina offered some key areas for prioritising science and technology, including the establishment of regional centres of excellence; the urgent need to increase the share of the GDP dedicated to science and technology and closing the gender gap in higher education.
"We are visionaries. We are audacious. We support concrete initiatives to stimulate science, technology and innovation in Africa,' he concluded.
Science and technology ministers, ambassadors, heads of national and international agencies and companies in Africa and Japan attended the forum.
TICAD 7 runs from 28-30 August in Yokohama, Japan.
Distributed by African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media contact:
Nafissatou Diouf Department
Communication and External Relations
African Development Bank
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