AFRICA CONSENSUS STUDY - THE EVOLVING SCIENCE ADVISORY LANDSCAPE IN AFRICA The Nigerian Academy of Science; ; © 2020, THE NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND INGSA-AFRICA This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction, provided the original work is properly credited. IDRC Grant: 108397-001-Effective science advice for governments in the developing world THE EVOLVING SCIENCE ADVISORY LANDSCAPE IN AFRICA 1 The Evolving Science Advisory Landscape in Africa The Nigerian Academy of Science (2020) T H ISBN: 978-978-981-851-8 E E V The Nigerian Academy of Science O Academy House L V 8a Ransome Kuti Road, University of Lagos I N PMB 1004, University of Lagos Post Office, Akoka, Yaba G Lagos, Nigeria S C Tel: +234 808 962 2442 I E Email: [email protected] N Website: www.nas.org.ng C E A All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval D system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, V I photocopying, recording, or otherwise - without the prior permission of the copyright S O owner, the Nigerian Academy of Sciencep R Y L A N D S C A P E I N A F R I C A 2 CONTENTS ACRONYMS 4 ABOUT THE NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 6 ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR GOVERNMENT SCIENCE ADVICE 7 BACKGROUND AND STUDY PROCESS 8 EXPERT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 11 INTRODUCTION 12 T SCIENCE IN THE MODERN WORLD 14 H E SCIENCE COMMUNICATION 17 E Science and Media in Africa 20 V SCIENCE DIPLOMACY 21 O L Science Diplomacy in the African context 22 V I SCIENCE ADVICE 23 N The Science Advisory Process 24 G Established Structures for Science Advice 25 S C I THE AFRICAN SCIENCE ADVISORY LANDSCAPE 29 E THE EVIDENCE-POLICY INTERFACE IN AFRICA 29 N C South Africa 29 E Zimbabwe 30 A Uganda 30 D Kenya 30 V I Ethiopia 30 S O Cameroon 32 R Egypt 32 Y THINK TANKS 35 L A SCIENCE ACADEMIES IN AFRICA 35 N The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) 35 D The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) 37 S C The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) 37 A National Science Academies in Africa 39 P E I CHALLENGES TO SCIENCE ADVICE IN AFRICA 49 N CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 51 A F R I FIGURES AND TABLES C A FIGURE 1: A CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM OF A COUNTRY'S SCIENCE CULTURE. 8 FIGURE 2: STISA 2024 PRIORITY AREAS 19 FIGURE 3: KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN EIDM IN ETHIOPIA. 22 FIGURE 4: ZIMBABWE EIDM EVIDENCE LANDSCAPE MAP 24 FIGURE 5: PLAYERS IN THE EIDM LANDSCAPE IN CAMEROON 25 FIGURE 6: DISTRIBUTION OF NASAC NATIONAL MEMBERS 27 TABLE 1: MEMBER ACADEMIES OF NASAC 28 3 ACRONYMS AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science AAS African Academy of Sciences ACEPA African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs AcNALS National Academy of Arts Letters and Sciences ACTS African Centre for Technology Studies AEN African Evidence Network T AESA Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa H AI Artificial Intelligence E ALC African Laser Centre E ALLEA All European Academies V O AMCOST African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology L ANSTS Academy of Science and Technology of Senegal V AOSTI African Observatory in Science Technology and Innovation I N ARC Agricultural Research Centre G AREP Arab Regional Partner S C ASADI African Science Academies Development Initiative I ASRIC African Scientific Research and Innovation Council E N ASSAf Academy of Science of South Africa C ASRT Academy of Scientific Research and Technology E AUC African Union Commission A BCURE Build Capacity to Use Research Evidence D V BMGF Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation I S CAS Cameroon Academy of Sciences O CEBH Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care R CLEAR Centres for Learning on Evaluation and Results Y L CPA Consolidated Plan of Action A CSA Chief Science Advisor N CSA Central Statistics Agency, Ethiopia D CSIR Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research S C CSO Civil Society Organization A P DHET Department of Higher Education and Training E DPME Department for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation I N DRUSSA Development Research Uptake in Sub-Saharan Africa EAS Ethiopian Academy of Sciences A F EIPM Evidence-Informed Policy Making R EPCC Ethiopian Panel on Climate Change I C EU European Union A EURO-CASEEuropean Council of Academies of Applied Science Technologies and Engineering EVIPnet Evidence-Informed Policy Network FEAM Federation of European Academies of Medicine GDP Gross Domestic Product HSRC Human Sciences Research Council IANAS Inter-American network of Academies of Science IAP Inter-Academy Partnership ICT Information and Communications Technology 4 IDSR Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response INGSA International Network for Government Science Advice IPBES Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPCC Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change IRDR Integrated Research on Disaster Risk ISC International Science Council KNAW Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences LCDs Least Developed Countries MDA Ministries, Departments, and Agencies T H MED Monitoring and Evaluation Department E MENA Middle East and North Africa E MINRESI Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation V MRC Medical Research Council O L NASAC Network of African Science Academies V I NEPAD New Partnership for Africa's Development N NGO Non-Governmental Organization G NRF National Research Foundation S OSTP Office of Science Technology Policy C I PSRC Federal Policy Studies and Research Centre E SAM Scientific Advice Mechanism N C SAPEA Scientific Advice to Policy by European Academies E SASPRI Southern African Social Policy Research Institute A SDG Sustainable Development Goals D V SEASA Science and Engineering Academy of South Africa I S SID Special Interest Division O SoT Statement of Task R SPIDER Special Interest Division on Science Policy in Diplomacy and External Relations Y STI Science Technology and Innovation L A STISA-2024 Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 N TCA The Conversation Africa D S TWAS The World Academy of Sciences C UNAS Uganda National Academy of Sciences A P UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization E UNSAB Scientific Advisory Board of the United Nations Secretary-General I ZaAS The Zambia Academy of Sciences N ZeipNET Zimbabwe Evidence Informed Policy Network A F R I C A 5 ABOUT THE NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) is the foremost independent scientific body in Nigeria which was established in 1977 and incorporated in 1986. The NAS is uniquely positioned to bring scientific knowledge to bear on the policies/strategic direction of the country and is also dedicated to the development and advancement of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in Nigeria. The aims and objectives of the Academy are to promote the growth, acquisition, and dissemination of scientific knowledge, and to facilitate its use in solving problems of national interest. The Academy T H strives to do this by: E E lProviding advice on specific problems of scientific or technological nature presented to it V O by the government and its agencies, as well as private organizations L lBringing to the attention of the government and its agencies problems of national interest V I that science and technology can help solve N lEstablishing and maintaining the highest standards of scientific endeavours and achievements G in Nigeria, through the publication of journals, organization of conferences, seminars, S C workshops, and symposia, recognition of outstanding contributions to science in Nigeria, and I E the development of a working relationship with other national and international scientific N bodies and academies. C E A As with national academies in other countries, NAS is a not-for-profit organization with a total D V membership (since inception) comprising 249 Fellows elected through a highly competitive I S process who have distinguished themselves in their fields both locally and internationally. Some of O her members have served as vice-chancellors of universities, directors-general of government R Y parastatals, and ministers in federal ministries. The Academy, given its clout, also has the ability to L attract other experts from around the country and internationally when needed. NAS is Nigeria's A N national representative on such bodies as the International Science Council (ISC) - the umbrella D body for all science associations and unions, and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) - the S umbrella body for all national science academies globally. The Academy is also a member of the C A Executive Committees of IAP for Science, IAP for Policy, and IAP for Health. P E I N A F R I C A 6 ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR GOVERNMENT SCIENCE ADVICE INGSA is a collaborative platform for policy exchange, capacity building and research across diverse global science advisory organisations and national systems. Through workshops, conferences and a growing catalogue of tools and guidance, the network aims to enhance the global science-policy interface to improve the potential for evidence-informed policy formation at sub-national, national and transnational levels. INGSA operates as an affiliated body of the T International Science Council (ISC), which acts as trustee of INGSA funds and hosts its H E governance committee. INGSA's secretariat is based in Koi T?: The Centre for Informed Futures E at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. V The mission of INGSA is to provide a forum for policy makers, practitioners, national academies, O L and academics to share experience, build capacity and develop theoretical and practical approaches V I to the use of scientific evidence in informing policy at all levels of government.