Hi, Quartz Africa readers!
Evidence-based
Of the many developmental challenges facing Africa, scientific research doesn’t often rise to the top of the discussion agenda, though thankfully that has been changing with high profile initiatives like the Next Einstein Foundation. And yet research and development will be key to the kinds of improvements that African citizens need and expect.
The priorities, or lack thereof, are obvious when you consider the average sub Saharan Africa government spends less than 0.5% of their GDP on backing research—the OECD country average is more than four times that at 2.3%. The governments have recognized this in recent years and committed at a NEF event a couple of years ago to commit to increasing investment in science and technology to reach 0.7% of GDP by 2020 and 1% of GDP by 2025.
And yet, despite a lack of funding and the flight of many top scientists abroad, there is still a wealth of talent in African countries making personal sacrifices every day to try and keep local R&D a reality on the ground. A recent paper by an organization called the Collaboration for Research Excellence in Africa (CORE), showed up to 85% of over 400 African researchers who answered its survey had worked for free in order to enable research projects. More than half of the researchers had worked for free on projects that lasted as long as six months to three years. Some worked unpaid on projects for more than five years.
Some researchers do it for the experience and benefit by getting paid positions eventually but many do it to work with organizations out of personal interest or contribute to a specific cause. The lack of funding is a key reason for this.
However, as the paper’s authors note: “Research can only thrive in an atmosphere that prioritizes, supports and appreciates its importance. An atmosphere of political or cultural intolerance to research has a stifling effect on research efforts.”
This is a key point. There needs to be more done to support a culture of research in African countries as much as fund it. More local research should lead to an increase in evidence-based policymaking and hopefully generate better outcomes in most cases for citizens. But this will only come with governments that don’t just fund research out of a sense of obligation or to meet some arbitrary target but also believe in it.
— Yinka Adegoke, Quartz Africa editor
Stories from this week
African telcos are increasingly getting into sectors beyond the traditional phone business. Econet Wireless’ launch of a ride-hailing company in Zimbabwe is the latest in a streak of African phone companies branching into sectors including mobile money, off-grid energy, and pay TV. As Yomi Kazeem explains, with slowing mobile revenue growth, telecoms operators are looking beyond voice and texts.
Mo Ibrahim wants us to openly talk about family planning in Africa. By 2100, Africa’s population is set to reach four billion—or a third of all people on earth. To reconcile demographic change with economic growth and job creation, billionaire and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim tells Abdi Latif Dahir there’s need for a “frank and open” discussion on birth control.
Cape Town’s burning trains expose how the city fails locals as it panders to foreign visitors. South Africa’s most popular tourist city caters well to its international visitors, but locals are beginning to feel increasingly isolated. A spate of arson attacks, rising crime, and dangerous gangs are making it hard to maintain the city’s pristine image, writes Lynsey Chutel.
Mauritius and Rwanda are leading Africa’s business reform wins. Much of the significant business environment reforms in Africa are happening in its smaller economies, the latest World Bank Doing Business report shows. While Nigeria and South Africa—Africa’s largest economies—have made little gains over the past year, Mauritius and Rwanda are the continent’s star performers.
The global systems which enable major scale corruption in Africa can’t be fixed in Africa. Much of the conversation about illicit financial flows from Africa is driven by international anti-corruption campaigners. But, despite their best intentions, major scale corruption will likely persist on the continent unless the major players at the forefront of these illicit financial flows—tax-evading multinationals, national governments, and tax havens—come to the table, writes Amanda Sperber.
Trump is having more influence on Nigeria’s political discourse than you might think. A strong crackdown by soldiers on Shia Muslim protestors left more than 40 dead. In response to criticism, Nigeria’s army used US president Donald Trump’s rhetoric about rock-throwing migrants at US borders to justify its actions. And ahead next year’s elections, Nigeria’s main opposition party has signed a million-dollar deal with Ballard Partners—a Florida-based lobbying firm with long-running ties to president Trump.
Chart of the Week
China is finding a market for its internet surveillance technologies in Africa. China has consistently been ranked as the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom. But Beijing is now going beyond its borders, providing its digital surveillance methods to African governments who already have mixed records on upholding freedom online.
Other Things We Liked
How Nigerian students use social media. Millennials are the dream targets of many digital marketing campaigns, the success of which is hinged on understanding how these millennials use social media. For TechCabal, Samuel Okike breaks down which social media apps are winning the battle for the attention of Nigeria’s vast student population and why.
When the Boy Scouts are peacekeepers in a war zone. There are more boy scouts than peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. Even in the midst of a civil war and fears of an Ebola outbreak, the scouts are arguably more effective, as a Mail & Guardian special report finds out.
Why are universities springing up all over eastern DR Congo? Across Goma and the rest of DRC’s North Kivu province, universities and other institutes of higher learning are being opened up in small buildings and local residences. For the Africa at LSE blog, Samuel Keith Muhindo Balume and Papy Muzuri Batumike find many of these institutions are not producing graduates of the standards the country used to produce between the 1960s to 1980s.
ICYMI
Studying Sino-Africa relations. The China Africa Research Initiative at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies is calling for applications to its Fellows program to research under-explored issues on China’s military, maritime, and humanitarian involvement in Africa. (Nov. 30)
International African poetry prize. With a reward of £3,000, the annual Brunel prize is aimed at revitalizing, developing, and celebrating poetry from Africa. (Dec. 12)
Rewarding sustainable development in Africa. The annual Al-Sumait Prize gives $1 million to individuals and institutions undertaking innovative projects in food security, health and education in Africa (Apr. 30)
Keep an eye on
China International Import Expo (Nov. 5-10). President Uhuru Kenyatta will lead the Kenya delegation joining other African countries in trying to export to China rather just import from it.
Madagascar elections (Nov. 7). Voters in the island nation will head to the polls to elect a new president following a lengthy political crisis this year.
Ethiopia to start issuing visas on arrival for all Africans (Nov. 9). As part of new political and economic reforms, the country will allow all African citizens to enter without obtaining visas in advance.
*This brief was produced while listening to Samba Pati by Angelique Kidjo feat. Roy Hargrove (Benin/USA). Rest in Peace, Roy Hargrove.
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