Securing sustainable funding for research in Africa is crucial for its success. While external support has played a pivotal role, the urgent need to bolster local and government funding cannot be overstated. The article by Di Caelers and Dann Okoth explores the challenges faced by African researchers, emphasizing the necessity of diversifying funding sources and empowering local entities.
Impact of Funding Cuts
The consequences of funding cuts, as exemplified by the Swedish Research Council’s decision to withdraw $16.4 million in grants, extend beyond individual researchers. Ghanaian biochemist Peggy Oti-Boateng highlights that such cuts affect not only research scientists but also the students they teach. Similarly, Sue Harrison from the University of Cape Town recounts the impact of foreign funding cuts initiated by UK Research and Innovation in 2020. A recurring issue for African researchers is the exclusion of them from grant agendas. In 2021, scientists from Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania raised concerns about African institutions being overlooked for a significant grant awarded to PATH by the US government’s President’s Malaria Initiative. This exclusion impedes Africa’s ability to address region-specific challenges critical for influencing policy and practice.
Broader Challenge
The broader challenge lies in ensuring uninterrupted resources for generating knowledge and innovations to tackle Africa-specific issues. Despite Africa representing 18% of the global population, it produces only 1% to 2% of global research and innovation outputs.
Progress and Challenges in Grant Acquisition: South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria are making progress in securing grants, but researchers in these countries still grapple with limited financial resources. The Africa Growth Initiative’s 2023 Foresight Africa report underscores the need for high-value investments in research and development (R&D) and infrastructure.
Unmet Commitments: Despite African Union member states committing to allocate 1% of their GDP to research and development 17 years ago, the continent’s funding remains at 0.42%, significantly below the global average of 1.7%. Notably, no country has reached the 1% target, with even South Africa, the continent’s largest spender on research and innovation, peaking at 0.85% of GDP.
Recognition of Research’s Economic Value: Top African scientists emphasize the failure of African countries to recognize the economic value of research. Salim Abdool Karim argues that making countries competitive in science will lead to economic competitiveness, stressing the need to view research as an investment rather than an expense.
Empowering African Researchers
To address the challenges, there is a call to diversify funding sources, reducing reliance on foreign funding. Empowering African governments and the private sector is crucial. Joab Odhiambo raises concerns about the decreasing number of young people pursuing PhDs, highlighting potential negative implications for socio-economic development.
Long-Term Investment and Infrastructure: Recognition of the long-term nature of research infrastructure development is crucial. Kelly Chibale’s success with the University of Cape Town Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre emphasizes the importance of identifying and supporting Africa’s pockets of excellence.
Meeting Commitments: The article emphasizes the importance of African countries meeting their Abuja Declaration commitments, including allocating at least 15% of the annual budget to improving the health sector and raising national science and technology budgets to 1% of GDP.
Conclusion:
The article concludes by stressing that African research agendas will only be prioritized when African scientists are funded by their own countries. It calls for a departure from dependency on northern hemisphere countries, highlighting the need for sustained commitment to research funding to foster a vibrant and self-sufficient research landscape in Africa.
The African Research (AR) Index is a comprehensive scholarly directory and database focused explicitly on journal publishers that publish and disseminate African research.
