By: Van
Soul Addey
The African Union Commission
has convened Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Kigali to strengthen
collaboration and advance the implementation of Africa’s Science, Technology
and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2034 (STISA-2034).
The STISA-2034 Advocacy
Session, organised by the African Union Commission’s Education, Science,
Technology and Innovation (ESTI) Department, brought together representatives
from across the continent to translate the shared continental strategy into practical
regional and national actions.
The engagement highlighted
the growing momentum of Africa’s innovation ecosystem, which is supported by
nearly 6,000 technology hubs across the continent and a growing community of
entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators.
Participants noted that
while Africa’s science, technology and innovation landscape is expanding,
stronger institutional frameworks, partnerships and coordination mechanisms are
needed to transform innovation capacity into continent-wide impact.
Implementation of STISA-2034
is expected to require an estimated US$6.8 billion in investment over the next
decade. Discussions during the Kigali meeting focused on developing financing
mechanisms, strengthening governance structures and aligning priorities among
regional and national stakeholders.
For the first time, all
Regional Economic Communities came together under the STISA-2034 framework to
review progress, identify implementation challenges and develop recommendations
aimed at supporting the strategy’s execution.
The African Union Commission
said the strategy represents a collective continental commitment and requires
coordinated action from governments, regional institutions, research
organisations, the private sector and innovators.
