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Yearly in October practically 100 international locations organise actions to mark World House Week. The theme this 12 months is area and sustainability. On this interview, Adejuwon Soyinka, West Africa regional editor at The Dialog Africa, asks Etim Offiong about how far Africa has come within the area age and what advantages the continent stands to realize from its funding in area expertise.
Russia’s Sputnik kicked off the area age in 1957. However Africa didn’t be part of till 1999. Why?
Sputnik occurred partly as a result of chilly conflict rivalry between the US and the previous Soviet Union. Throughout this era, most African international locations have been nonetheless beneath colonial rule. Solely Ghana had gained independence, earlier that 12 months.
By the colonial methods and constructions put in place then, African international locations had no management over their pure and human assets. The colonies have been made to deal with the labour, uncooked supplies and agricultural crops that have been wanted by their colonial masters.
They might not take note of analysis and growth, notably in nuclear physics, area and the oceans. Academic methods have been additionally designed to satisfy the wants of colonial masters. Outer area was, due to this fact, of little concern to Africa.
Free nations alternatively may channel their assets into area exploration.
Regardless of the restrictions and challenges of their residence international locations, African scientists nonetheless made efforts to check and do analysis of their areas of curiosity. These have been principally finished overseas by means of scholarships and fellowships. A few of these scientists have been desirous about understanding phenomena surrounding the Earth and Solar.
At about this time (1957-8), the Worldwide Geophysical 12 months offered a chance for worldwide analysis on the science and influence of the Solar-Earth system. The US additionally positioned monitoring stations in Nigeria and South Africa to help US area missions.
In that sense, one could say that Africa participated in early area actions. However the actions weren’t designed to profit African international locations.
How far would you say Africa has come within the area age?
As African international locations began gaining independence, they may, to some extent, management their human and monetary assets. The speech made by Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah on the launch of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 highlighted how Africa’s growth and prosperity wanted science and expertise.
However a significant leap in area actions began round 1998, with the institution by the United Nations of Regional Centres for House Science and Know-how Schooling in creating international locations.
Two centres have been established in Africa: one in Morocco for the French-speaking African international locations, and the opposite in Nigeria for the English-speaking African international locations.
At about this time, South Africa was creating what would turn into Africa’s first indigenously constructed satellite tv for pc – Sunsat – which was launched in 1999.
From these early steps, extra African nations began creating an curiosity in area. People who have been already conscious of the advantages of area expertise in growth began looking for means to acquire satellites and purchase space-related information.
Along with nationwide initiatives, there are a number of externally funded space-related programmes and initiatives in Africa which have created an influx of funds, information and infrastructure into the continent.
Moreover, the African House Coverage and Technique was adopted in 2016. Some African international locations have additionally developed nationwide area insurance policies and methods.
So, Africa has made some features, however it could possibly be higher.
How has Africa benefited from funding in area expertise?
There may be potential to use area expertise in varied areas, together with agriculture, transport, city planning, environmental administration, catastrophe administration and pure useful resource administration.
The UN-affiliated regional centres in Morocco and Nigeria have educated a number of hundred Africans in these areas.
As well as, some African international locations have procured small satellites, principally by means of the assistance of educational or business establishments overseas. Sadly, there was little or no expertise switch. Equally, the expertise and information from externally funded programmes have but to be correctly internalised, codified and subtle.
Some African international locations have commenced educational programmes in areas akin to astronomy, distant sensing, area climate, satellite tv for pc communication, satellite tv for pc geodesy, satellite tv for pc meteorology and area legislation.
The problem is that there are few jobs for the graduates. Africa finally loses them to international locations the place their information and abilities are higher used. Africa, due to this fact, must be strategic in its engagements and programmes.
What do African international locations must do to get higher at this?
In my opinion, it begins with a nationwide area coverage and technique. A nationwide coverage states the place a rustic desires to go, the nationwide area technique states the way it will get there. The coverage states the imaginative and prescient, overarching objectives and guiding rules; the technique interprets these into actions and programmes.
House insurance policies and methods are essential as a result of they permit predictable constructive outcomes for a rustic, area, or organisation. They lead, information and guard all stakeholders – authorities, trade, academia and civil society – in the direction of attaining company pursuits, objectives and priorities.
As a result of distinctive nature of the area area (scientific, business, army and geostrategic pursuits), creating an area coverage and technique just isn’t so simple as different public insurance policies.
On the flip facet, area coverage and technique function inside a world authorized regime. There are treaties, rules, norms and pointers for area actions.
That is the place the African House Management Institute is available in – to develop Africa’s capabilities in area coverage, technique, legislation and governance. The institute was additionally established to offer recommendation and perception on points within the African nationwide and continental area panorama. All these could be inside the frameworks of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN SDGs.
African international locations have to be extra deliberate in creating area capabilities. A celebration can solely profit from bilateral or worldwide cooperation if it brings one thing to the desk, is aware of what it desires to get from the cooperation and negotiates properly.
So, various strategic foresight is required in Africa.
Etim Offiong is co-founder of the African House Management Institute (ASLI).
