There was a time, not too long ago, when Africa and Africans had great hope for their future. Ghana, led by Kwame Nkrumah, had become independent by 1957, and it appeared that the bonds of colonialism, brief but tortuous, had at last been broken. The great visionary Nkrumah saw three fundamental tasks to be carried out that would ensure a successful AFrican future: the freedom of all Africa, the unity of all Africa, and the technological advancement of all Africa. Indeed, 50 years later, though we have seen Africa freed from her colonial bonds, and we see the process in place to bring about political and economic unity, Africa still requires the re-development of a culture of science and technology. Anecdotal evidence from around the world and from our illustrious past informs us that an emphasis on innovation is an integral aspect of development and of dignity.

Indeed, recognising this, the African Union has recently formed a New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), and a part of this body is the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST), whose mission is to provide a "high-level platform for developing policies and setting priorities on science, technology and innovation for African development. AMCOST provides political and policy leadership for the implementation of Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA)." So it appears that the visions of Nkrumah may just become reality.

Perhaps the most important philosophical foundation for use of resources to facilitate African science, even in the face of burgeoning poverty, is that without the power of science we will always be in a position of prostration at the heel of the West. In other words, innovation is a necessary sacrifice and a potentially invaluable resource in an increasingly complex global economy. Moreover, and more to the point, pre-colonial African history indicates a natural cultural inclination towards innovation. The pyramids, mathematics and medicine are just a few examples. Colonialism has stolen our memory of this dignified culture of inquiry, and then sold it back to us as their own! This is why, paradoxically, Afrikans tend to be under-represented in science and technology despite being a great part of its origin. Reclamation and more emphatically improvement of the scientific and innovative tradition is not a choice but an imperative if we are ever to achieve justice.

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Dread Team