Research and development tonic to Africa’s progress

Lazarus Sauti

Since Africa’s economy continues to struggle and experiencing minimal growth, research and development is the tonic to the continent’s path to its socio-economic progress.

This is so because research and development is a critical means through which nations across the African continent can experience economic transformation.

To open research and development up, it is critical to note that research and development is a phrase that means different things in different applications.

In the world of business, research and development is the phase in a product’s life that might be considered the product’s ‘conception’. That is, basic science must exist to support the product’s viability, and if the science is lacking, it must be discovered - this is considered the research phase.

If the science exists, then turning it into a useful product is the development phase. Further terminology refinements might call it engineering to refine production so that the product can be made for a cost that appeals to consumers.

There is no gainsaying that research and development has remained the bedrock of any self-reliant national economy.

Consequently, African governments should recognise research and development as key to the continent’s economic transformation.

This is so because across the globe, increased research and development in the field of science has led to acceleration in the growth of technological knowledge and expertise.

More so, the continent must embrace research and development since it gives birth to a knowledge economy.

Importantly, it is the nature, quality and efficiency of the interactions between three major players - government, universities and the industry that determine how a knowledge economy evolves.

Commenting on the significance of research and development in his country Nigeria, Professor Ita Ewa said that technology is driven and sustained by research.

“Research and development is driven and sustained by research, therefore, research results, packaging and exploitation for the market are key to national development drive.

“Numerous research and development results within parastatals and other relevant government agencies in countries across Africa must be linked to the market to ensure that the continent achieves its objectives,” he said.

To effectively turn around its economy, think tanks in Africa should prioritise and focus their policies on research and development to create job opportunities for the young.

They should package research and development results to attract the market. Packaging research and development results could play a big role in wealth creation, industrial and economic development in line with the transformation agenda of the continent.

On the significance of research and development, The UN Millennium Project denotes that research and development plays a critical role in helping countries tackle urgent problems of poverty.

“Innovation, research and technology are linked to economic growth and scientific and technical capabilities also determine the ability to provide clean water, good health care, adequate infrastructure and safe food.”

Accordingly, development trends around the African continent need to be reviewed to evaluate the role that research and development plays in economic transformation and sustainable development.

Africa should therefore learn from China since all the rapid growth in China is due to a nurtured hard work ethic, high value of research and appreciation of knowledge.

To mark a new chapter in the history of this beautiful continent, political leaders and policy formulators should increase the development budget for research and development.

The allocation of substantially increased funds will allow African governments to undertake programmes that uplift the research and development sector.

At the same time African leaders should prioritise steps that improve the quality of research and development and in addition, make education relevant to national, regional and continental needs.

They should begin to build research and development training centres to develop economically, politically, socially, culturally, scientifically and technologically.

For this to happen, governments should respectively levy private and public sectors a tax that will be channeled towards research and development. The tax incentive should be meant to help increase industry productivity and competitiveness.

Ministries of Science and Technology in Africa must also sensitise research communities within the continent on the need for a demand driven research and guide researchers on appropriate methods of packaging research and development results for the African market.

Scientists and researchers in the continent should also develop intellectual property as an effective way to foster innovation.

Intellectual Property (IP) is a tool to foster innovation as it represents the search for balance between making all knowledge available within the public domain and granting ownership of valuable discoveries to the inventors.

More so, intellectual property is integral to all the six components of innovation which includes research and development in the public and private sectors; safe and effective regulatory systems; the ability to produce new products to high standards of quality; a national distribution system in both the public and private sectors; and international distribution systems and trade in technologies.

As a matter of fact, research and development is crucial for Africa’s economic transformation. Therefore, political leaders, scientists and stakeholders in the science and development sector within the African continent must adopt strategies that promote research and development.