Briefing Paper

Building Capacity in Science, Technology and Innovation for Africa’s Transformation: The Role of Governments

The call to industrialize and modernize Africa has become popular in recent years, and the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the Common African Position on Agenda 2030 identify science, technology, and innovation (STI) as key enablers to achieve development blueprints. In response, Africa
adopted a 10-year Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy (STISA–2024). This policy brief highlights the role of African governments in building STI capacity and the key capacity messages
pertinent to STI. African governments are responsible for building STI capacity through the policies and processes that guide investment decisions in STI, innovation capacity, and STI products and services.