African Scholars Urge Strategic Policies to Strengthen Research Ecosystems
Prominent scholars and academic leaders have issued a compelling call for African governments to adopt deliberate national policies aimed at strengthening research ecosystems across the continent. They emphasize that sustainable development will remain an elusive goal without coordinated investment in research, innovation, and development. This urgent appeal was made during the recent Toyin Falola Interviews, a panel discussion that brought together leading intellectuals to explore the theme "Research, Innovation and Development."
Panel Highlights Critical Role of Research
The event, chaired by renowned historian and Africanist Toyin Falola and moderated by distinguished scientist Ilesanmi Adesida, focused on how Africa can build stronger knowledge systems capable of driving economic growth and technological advancement. Other notable speakers included Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande of MIT, Chimay Anumba of the University of Florida, Lola Eniola-Adefeso of the University of Illinois Chicago, and Chris Piwuna, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Opening the conversation, Falola stressed that research and innovation are indispensable tools for Africa's progress. "As Africans we cannot transform our continent without what we call RI&D (research, innovation and development)... We cannot create economic growth without it. We cannot improve our systems of governance without technologies. We cannot improve our health, education and culture without research, innovation and development," he declared.
Falola also pointed out that the debate must extend beyond funding to deeper structural questions, including how Africa can reclaim indigenous knowledge systems and integrate them into contemporary academic frameworks. "How do we decolonise knowledge? How do we avoid exploitation and domination as Africans within the corridors of research, innovation and development?" he questioned.
Investment and Infrastructure as Key Drivers
Adesida highlighted the central role research plays in national development, explaining that innovation emerges when countries deliberately connect knowledge production to economic and technological growth. "Research has connection to technological development, economic development and social development. Nations that are able to do this move very fast," he said, citing examples like South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.
However, Adesida expressed concern that many African countries are failing to invest adequately in research. "UNESCO recommends about one to two percent of annual GDP to be spent on research but many African countries spend about 0.2 percent or even lower," he noted, underscoring a significant funding gap.
Professor Chimay Anumba stressed that research systems require strong institutional and national infrastructure to function effectively. "Research in science, technology and engineering is critical for the advancement of humanity... it helps improve the quality of life and addresses major challenges such as poverty, climate change and healthcare," he said. Anumba emphasized that governments must demonstrate commitment by establishing agencies that coordinate research funding and programs.
Economic Returns and Youth Opportunities
Professor Lola Eniola-Adefeso, a chemical and biomedical engineer, underscored the long-term economic value of investing in research. She noted that although basic research often carries uncertainty, it remains the foundation for technological breakthroughs. "Basic research is risky because you never know what you would get out of it... but many nations invest heavily in it because it generates the technology and medicine of tomorrow," she explained.
Eniola-Adefeso highlighted that research funding can produce significant economic returns. "In biomedical research in the United States, every single dollar that the NIH invests in basic research generates about 2.5 dollars in outcome," she said. She added that Africa's rapidly growing youth population makes investment in research even more urgent. "African countries need to think about how they will create employment and economic opportunities for those young people. One of the best ways to do that is investing in research," she asserted.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Institutional Support
Professor Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande of MIT highlighted the growing role of interdisciplinary collaboration in modern research. "There is a lot of multidisciplinarity in research... those in biomedical engineering are collaborating with those in the social sciences," he observed. He also noted that research outcomes are often unpredictable, making institutional support essential. "If you are doing basic research and you don't have tolerance for failure, you will not continue your work," he cautioned.
The panelists unanimously agreed that strategic policies, adequate funding, and robust infrastructure are critical to building a vibrant research ecosystem in Africa. They called for a concerted effort from governments, academic institutions, and private sectors to prioritize research and innovation as key drivers of continental development.
