Expert advocates STI for poverty reduction

By: Arsénio Basilio Manhice, Nairobi
The initiatives of public and private sectors on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) must be synchronised if Africa is to develop and eradicate poverty which affects, mostly rural communities.
The Coordinator of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in Africa, Kabiru Kinyanjui said this in Nairobi at the just concluded three-day science conference under the theme: “ST&I for Youth Employment, Human Capital Developments and Inclusive Growth”.
His speech was part of a session on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM), Education and Labor Market in Africa.
He said the strategies of African nations should be to create jobs and improve the teaching and learning of technology, engineering and mathematics from foundation to university.
He added that graduates should not be trained just for the private sector but also to be able to create their own initiatives.
“For example, there are new findings of gas, coal and other mineral resources in Mozambique and young people must take advantage of this without waiting to be employed,” he said.
Although governments are implementing some educational programmes as a response to the challenges, Kinyanjui says job creation is not keeping pace with the population of graduates who are not in employment.
“This happens because the economic models adopted in many countries are not directed at job creation”, he said. Kinyanjui therefore advocated that schools must teach skills for the present and future challenges.

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Posted by AfricaSTI on April 10, 2012. Filed under Lead Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry