Efforts to fast-track Africa’s sustainable development are gaining momentum as government leaders, scientists, researchers, civil societies private sector and young innovators gather in Nairobi to champion the use of data, innovation and evidence informed policy making.
The Evidence for Development conference themed ‘optimizing the role of data, evidence and innovation in Africa’s efforts to create wealth, empower citizens and foster responsive and inclusive governance’ has brought key players in a powerful call to action.
The renewed call comes at a critical time as the continent grapples with the uncertainty following withdrawal of foreign Aid.
Speaking during the official launch Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Migos Ogamba in a speech delivered by Director of Research, Science and Technology Ministry of Education Dr. Roselida Owuor, termed it well timed and crucial. He said data is the foundation, evidence is the guideline and innovation is the engine for economic growth and Africa’s transformation.
“The UNDP’s progress report on the SDGs and the report on the first ten years of Agenda 2063 implementation have shown us that while some progress has been made, much more needs to be done.” Stated CS Ogamba
He stressed the importance of aligning education systems with Africa’s scientific ambitions calling for the need for more investments towards the sector to leapfrog development in Africa.
“Data, evidence and innovation are not mere buzzwords, they are the lifeblood of sustainable development. They provide us with tools to understand our realities through accurate and timely data, which allows us to diagnose challenges, identify opportunities and track our progress,” added CS Ogamba
Malawi’s Minister of Higher EducationDr. Jessie Kabilwa called for more investment in research and knowledge ecosystem to achieve 21st Century workforce that Africa needs.
“Africa’s higher education enrolment stands at around 9% compared to a global average of 38%. Africa invests around 0.5% of its GDP in research and development compared to the global average of 2.2%.
Dr. Kabilwa warned of continents ‘brain drain’ as talented researchers and innovators leave due to limited opportunities and undefunded infrastructure.
The conference convened amid growing challenges such as food insecurity, debt crisis, low quality of healthcare, Digital disruptions, inadequate research funding, youth unemployment among others, and seeks to overcome poor data quality, ineffective monitoring systems and weak institutional capacities.
Chief Executive Officer for Science for Africa Foundation Dr. Tom Kariuki called for updated knowledge and innovation across sectors.
“Evidence is crital in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, education. Many of our farming practices are outdated. Young people need access to modern, evidence-based knowledge to succeed,” he said.
Dr. Ojenge Winston from the Africa Center for Technology Studies focusing on Ethics of Artificial intelligence said data is critical if evidence is to be used in decision and policy making.
“AI is a multisectoral tool, serving all sectors that have data, so the evidence here is basically that AI feeds on data, so it learns about the environment by collecting data from that environment and that’s majorly is the evidence and that is missing in basically all the sectors,” explained Dr. Ojenge.
Despite strong commitments, challenges remain. The continent lacks a central data repository, faces data protection concerns, and continues to suffer from low funding and limited public awareness
“As it is currently, we have so many institutions but are not properly funded, so a call to government is to have these forums regularly. We need to chip more awareness and education about data, the processes for analyzing data the pathways for evidence all this is important for the political class and policy makers so that before they make a decision, there is no disconnect but have a meeting point,” advised Dr. Kariuki
Senior Advisor Science Technology and Innovation at AUDA-NEPAD Prof. Brando Okolo emphasized on the need of ensuring truth, saying true progress does not only depend on just having evidence but its truth. “Confirming the integrity of the evidence we rely on is a vital mission, one that will shape the Africa we aspire to build,” he added.
Dr. Eliya Zullu executive director of AFIDEP stressed the need for using evidence to enhance efficiency and ensure every resource counts. ” Every year billions of dollars are lost through mismanagement, inefficiencies and outright theft. Research shows that corruption costs the continent over 140bn dollars annually which is more than enough to finance critical sectors” he concluded
