AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251 11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558
website: www.au.int
DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
PRESS RELEASE Nº147/2014
African Union Heads of State and Government Adopt the Science,
Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 3 July, 2014: The 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of
African Union Heads of State and Government held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on 27
June 2014 adopted the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa -2024
(STISA-2024) amongst others.
STISA-2024 was developed as a result of the review of the Africa Science and Technology
Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA), following an inclusive participatory process involving
policy-makers, prominent scientists, and researchers at home and in Diaspora; institutions
and organizations including the AU Commission and the NEPAD Agency. The 8-member
high-level panel which presided over the development of STISA-2024 was co-chaired by
Professors Calestous Juma and Ismail Serageldin.
STISA-2024 will address six critical socio-economic priority areas, namely: eradication of
hunger and ensure food & nutrition security; disease prevention and control and ensuring
well-being; communication; protection of our space; live together – build the community
and; wealth creation. These priorities cut across the African Union sectorial strategic
frameworks and provide ample opportunity for synergies and complementarities that would
be capitalized on during implementation, underscoring the role of STI as a multi-functional
tool for Africa’s development.
The STISA-2024 is a decadal continental strategic framework for accelerating Africa’s
transition to an innovation-led, knowledge-based economy within the overall framework of
the AU Agenda 2063. It takes into cognizance the need to revamp STI infrastructure in
Africa, enhance technical and professional competencies, and also provide the enabling
environment for STI as prerequisites to achieve its mission. Flagship research programs
and actions with estimated budget and funding sources will be elaborated to respond to the
challenges along the key priorities’ impact areas by the scientific community and all
relevant stakeholders. Both prerequisite actions and flagship programs will take stock of
existing initiatives and will build on existing program actions already identified in the
Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA).
In their decision, the Heads of State and Government called upon the Member States,
Regional Economic Communities and Development Partners to align, connect and use the
STISA-2024 as a reference framework in designing and coordinating their STI development
agendas and initiatives, to collectively contribute to Africa’s socio-economic development.
This calls for a political will and financial commitment from Member States that goes
beyond the Khartoum declaration of 1% GDP spending on research and development.
The AU Commission, the NEPAD Agency and their partners will continue to advocate and
create awareness, mobilize necessary institutional, human and financial resources and also
track, monitor and evaluate the implementation progress of STISA -2024.
For further information please contact:
Mahama Ouedraogo
Head of Division Science and Technology
Human Resources, Science and Technology Department
African Union Commission
Email:[email protected]