By Peter Orengo
President Kibaki has called on African governments, academic and research institutions to put in place infrastructure for research and development to attract and retain top-notch scientists.
The President said unlike Europe and Asia, Africa continues to lose its best scientists and researchers due to lack of resources and relevant institutions.
"We need a new strategy to urgently reverse the massive brain drain out of the continent. These bright sons and daughters of Africa are working in foreign nations for a reason," he said when he opened the first African Forum in Science, Technology and Innovation taking place in Nairobi. President Kibaki receives Unesco Director-General Irina Bokova at his Harambee House Office in Nairobi on Tuesday. [Photo: PPS]
Forum
The three-day forum, whose agenda is to promote youth employment, human capital development and incisive growth, is being attended by top African scientist and over 60 Higher Education ministers from the continent.
Kibaki said Kenyaâs ability to achieve rapid development and have capacity to compete globally will depend on its ability to utilise science and technology.
"In order to compete effectively in the global market we must be able to develop technologies that will set off Africaâs industrial revolution," he added.
Higher Education Minister Margaret Kamar said Kenyaâs ability to utilise relevant scientific innovation will enable it confront the challenges of development, unemployment, and inadequacies in human capital development.
Finance
She called on President Kibaki and other heads of African governments to prevail upon finance ministers to allocate one per cent of Gross Domestic Product to Science, Technology and Innovation, as agreed by the African Union last month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
