Science and Technology: How Prepared is Africa for the Next Phase?

By Sanya Bakare 

The world has changed! Its metamorphosis is due to the advancements in Science and Technology which has shaped the way we view the world through various dimensions. These dimensions would be too enormous to mention but the impact can be seen and felt by us all!

Though, It is still being debated if it has done more harm than good in various discuss but not withstanding, we have all seen and come to the conclusion that Science and Technology is still the future of the world from what lies before us and ahead of us; we have all come to the realization that from the good knowledge of it, lies a further developed, healthier and sustainable society.

Africa can really flow along the waters of new-age globalization – Science and Technology being taking over by the world. This can only be achieved if we start getting our younger generation scientifically empowered. There are, according to statistics, a lot of Africans especially the younger generation whom we look up to as the future leaders of tomorrow, are far adrift when it comes to possessing Scientific and Information Communication Technology (ICT) Knowledge – the two major catalysts that can champion the cause of development for developing countries.

Human capital development is a collective responsibility and the government, so far (taking Nigeria as a case-study), has done a commendable job in trying to elevate the youths in its various empowerment programmes. Yet, how far it has gone in hitting the nail on the head, or how far it has done at hitting the main target and engaging the younger ones remain debatable? For those that go to schools, especially public schools, how well are they being taught science related subjects to their understanding? How far has the government Intellectual Capacity Initiatives gone in resolving the brain-drain when it comes to Scientific Knowledge among our youths? And how far is government carrying the younger generation along in the quest to key into sustainable environmental pledges made so far?

One would also wish to ask the fundamental question, how do we combat Climate Change and make our environment sustainable when a bulk of the generation we hope will build on the works, efforts and goals designed for a safer and greener society by the government and stakeholders, don’t even have an idea of what climate change, greenhouse gases and even Global Warming are all about? So many a youth who are even in science classes cannot expertly explain what an Atom, Cell or radiation mean even though they have the definitions within them. These are just some of the narratives and this is as a result of the poor knowledge of Science and Technology that befalls our younger generation in Nigeria and virtually, whole of Africa, today. It is an irony to say that most of the latest gadgets being used by them daily are offshoots of Science and Technology – but do they know the mechanisms behind their functionality?

Africa can become a formidable hub in Science and Technology but as it stands, there is a huge brain-drain in science and technology amongst our youths – they have clung so much to the art world and totally ignoring the former; there are huge consequences if we don’t act fast! We need to start bringing initiatives to bridge these gaps so Africa possesses the intellectual skills and tools needed. Science is taking over…we shouldn’t be left out; we should also get fully involved – bring new technologies for social and economic development, bring in hybrid solutions for the adaptation and mitigation of Global Warming and the likes. Time is slipping out of our hands; it’s time we wake up!

Sanya Bakare is a Content Creator, Copywriter and Educationist.