The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has urged African countries to harness science, technology and innovation to drive economic growth and sustainable development.
Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA, in a statement, made the call at the Eighth African Science, Technology and Innovation Forum in Addis Ababa.
Gatete said that rapid technological changes and global economic shifts required urgent and coordinated action from African countries.
He noted that slower global growth, rising debt vulnerabilities and climate shocks were reshaping development prospects across the continent.
According to him, advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and digital systems are redefining productivity and competitiveness globally.
Gatete said Africa risked missing out on emerging opportunities if it failed to act decisively.
“It means that the margin for delay has disappeared and the cost of inaction is rising,” he said.
He said that internet penetration in Africa stood at about 36 per cent in 2025, highlighting persistent digital divides.
The ECA boss also said that the continent accounted for only 0.6 per cent of global patent applications, in spite its large population.
He described the figures as indicators of untapped potential and gaps that required urgent attention.
Gatete stressed that science, technology and innovation must be aligned with Africa’s economic transformation agenda.
He said innovation should translate into value addition, job creation and improved productivity across sectors.
He also called for increased investment in digital public infrastructure, including digital identity systems and data platforms.
Gatete emphasised the need to build skills in science, engineering and emerging technologies, especially among youths and women.
He further emphasised the importance of regional integration in scaling innovation across African markets.
According to him, initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area provides opportunities to expand digital solutions and value chains.
Gatete said reliable and sustainable energy remained critical to supporting Africa’s digital transformation.
He added that without adequate energy supply, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies would face significant constraints.
The ECA executive secretary called for stronger coordination across sectors, countries and institutions to maximise impact.
He said Africa must position itself not just as a consumer of technology, but as a contributor to global innovation.
Gatete reaffirmed ECA’s commitment to supporting member states through policy research, technical assistance and partnerships.
In a related development, the ECA has called for an integrated approach to address Africa’s interconnected climate, food, energy and water challenges.
The Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support at ECA, Mama Keita, in a statement, said this at a high-level dialogue in Addis Ababa.
Keita said climate shocks, rising debt pressures and tightening financial conditions were increasingly constraining growth across the continent.
She noted that Africa faced a financing gap of about $1.3 trillion annually to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to her, climate shocks are already reducing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by up to five per cent annually in vulnerable African economies.
She also warned that disruptions in global supply chains were affecting energy and fertiliser flows, with implications for food prices and economic stability.
Keita stressed that Africa could no longer address development challenges in isolation, describing fragmented approaches as inefficient and counterproductive.
“We must move away from disjointed responses where sectors operate in silos and investments fail to reinforce each other,” she said.
She called for a Climate–Water–Energy–Food nexus approach to manage interconnections and build resilience across sectors.
The ECA official said integrated solutions would help maximise synergies, reduce trade-offs and accelerate progress toward development goals.
Keita said that while some progress had been made, integrated approaches remained limited across the continent.
She said the dialogue provided a platform to share experiences and identify scalable solutions for implementation.
Keita outlined three priorities, including policy coherence, innovative financing and investment in data and science.p
She said stronger coordination across sectors would reduce inefficiencies and improve development outcomes.
She also called for increased use of blended finance, green bonds and improved domestic resource mobilisation to fund development.
According to her, addressing illicit financial flows estimated at 88 billion dollars annually will be critical to boosting available resources.
Keita emphasised the need for robust data systems and capable institutions to support effective planning and delivery.
She said Africa’s future would depend on how well countries managed the links between sectors rather than individual sectors.
“The nexus is not an option; it is a necessity,” she said.
Keita reaffirmed ECA’s commitment to supporting African countries through policy research, technical assistance and stakeholder engagement.
By Lucy Ogalue