Pan-Africa Report 2023 - English

Abstract

According to the World Bank, Africa is projected to be the second-fastest-growing region in the world in 2024. The continent has the world’s youngest population, thriving through entrepreneurship and innovation. It also holds 30% of the world’s natural resources critical for energy transition. Africa has 15% of the world’s population, while share of scientific production is just 1.3%. African governments, through the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) of the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) are charting the path to Africa’s socio-economic transformation by supporting doctoral training, research, and innovation in selected African host universities and collaborating with international partner institutions. Through PASET-Rsif African countries are building strong institutions and future science leaders to drive a science and technology-led growth and development. There are 15 competitively selected Rsif African Host Universities hosting 282 PhD students (37% women, 24 nationalities) in high priority sectors. They are developing skills, generating new knowledge, and developing technologies in thematic areas of climate change, renewable energy, sustainable food systems and agribusiness, digital technologies, including big data and artificial intelligence, and minerals, mining, and materials engineering. There are 226 peer-reviewed research publications to date and 58 Rsif research and innovation projects. The report turns the spotlight on Rsif scholars and their research contribution, including in providing baseline information that can influence anti-microbial resistance surveillance; and how Rsif innovation projects are Developing and scaling up digital innovations in agriculture.