ADOPTING INNOVATIVE MANAGERIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR

AFRICA IN DEALING WITH ITS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES

While natural resources, infrastructure, labor and capital were traditionally the most important
economic factors, for development of countries and companies; nowadays it is becoming clear
that technology also play an essential role in the success of a national economy. 1

President Kwame Nkrumah during his first speech at the foundation summit of the
Organization of African Unity, Addis Ababa, 24 May 1963 said “We shall accumulate
machinery and establish steel works, iron foundries and factories; we shall link the various
states of our continent with communications; we shall astound the world with our
hydroelectric power; we shall drain marshes and swamps, clear infested areas, feed the
undernourished, and rid our people of parasites and disease. It is within the possibility of
science and technology to make even the Sahara bloom into a vast field with verdant
vegetation for agricultural and industrial developments”2.

We notice through this speech that most of the developmental challenges that face Africa can
be dealt with the adoption of innovative managerial technologies. How do we understand
managerial technology?

Technology is a Greek word derived from the synthesis of two words: techne (meaning art)
and logos (meaning logic or science). So loosely interpreted, technology means the art of
logic or the art of scientific discipline. Thus, involving technology in development; implies its
management in order to better reach any settled goals. The U.S. National Research Council in
Washington, D.C., defined management of technology (MOT) as linking "engineering,
science, and management disciplines to plan, develop, and implement technological
capabilities to shape and accomplish the strategic and operational objectives of an
organization" (National Research Council, 1987). In a better definition it would be the use of
technology for human advantage. The challenge is that acquiring and managing technology is
not something which can easily be learned with assistance from those that have experience.
This is particularly true with respect to the conceptual skills needed to use technology for
mass production of goods which requires application of knowledge and information to design
production and maintenance.

1
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/911c/b3334d44bde60ec8ac7ec383b414c3f9d39f.pdf
2
https://caast-net-plus.org/object/news/994/attach/09_Hambani_Masheleni_STISA-
2024__CNPlus_Entebbe_Nov_2014.pdf
It is then clear that some countries more industrialized benefit widely from the innovation of
managerial technologies while on the other side the less industrialized constituted by the
developing countries are yet to gain more profits.

Most of the developing countries are based in Africa. It is a continent with some important
issues that African People need to work on, to achieve inclusive growth, social and economic
development3. Among those issues we have : agricultural development (food security),
environmental sustainability and climate change initiatives, equal opportunity for all (social,
racial, religious), foreign direct investment (FDI) generation and management, gender
equality, health services; education for all (including digital literacy), energy (renewable
sources), water and sanitation, labor regulation, terrorism threats etc…

In order for these developing countries to move forward and become fully integrated with the
global economy; it is necessary to introduce at an appropriate pace, principles of technology
management.

We must note that it will not be an easy task since it involves national policies, investments,
strategies, which should be created and implemented with the goal of developing
technological capabilities to shape; develop and to accomplish the strategic and operational
goals of these designated countries which stand for the whole Africa continent.

Technology management also involves acquisition of basic knowledge or science; and

transforming that knowledge into products that have practical and commercial utility in the
market place and/or improve the lives of the country’s citizens (in the Republic of Ghana for
examples of products with commercial utility we have: Duraplast Watatank, Chocho Herbal
Fresh Soap; GTP Wax Print etc… These are among the top 25 best quality Made in Ghana
products selected based on a survey conducted by EFG on various Ghanaians consumers in
2017). This process is also referred as innovation. 4

On the Wings of Innovation, the AU Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa
2024 (STISA-2024) places science, technology and innovation at the epicenter of Africa’s
socio-economic development and growth. The STISA-2024 has been developed during an
important period when the African Union was formulating a broader and long-term AU
Agenda 2063. The STISA-2024 is the first of the ten-year incremental phasing strategies to
respond to the demand for science, technology and innovation to impact across critical sectors

3
https://www.tralac.org/discussions/article/11690-why-is-25th-may-important-for-african-nations.html
4
https://www.businessghana.com/site/news/business/155298/Top-25-best-quality-Made-in-Ghana-products-
unveiled
such as agriculture, energy, environment, health, infrastructure development, mining, security
and water among others. The strategy is firmly anchored on six distinct priority areas that
contribute to the achievement of the AU Vision. These priority areas are: Eradication of
Hunger and Achieving Food Security; Prevention and Control of Diseases;
Communication (Physical and Intellectual Mobility); Protection of our Space; Live
Together- Build the Society; and Wealth Creation. The strategy further defines four
mutually reinforcing pillars which are prerequisite conditions for its success. These pillars are:
building and/or upgrading research infrastructures; enhancing professional and technical
competencies; promoting entrepreneurship and innovation; and providing an enabling
environment for STI development in the African continent.

The development through the adoption of innovative technology management approaches in

Africa requires the upgrading of science laboratories and the establishment of world class STI
(science technology innovation) infrastructures. This includes research and innovation
facilities such as laboratories (for teaching, engineering and clinical trials), teaching hospitals,
Innovation Spaces, Living Labs and National Research and Education Networks (NRENs).
Existing physical and digital infrastructure and resources will be leveraged and networked to
increase utilization efficiency at national and regional level and reduce maintenance and
operating costs through Shared Services. Engineering applications will be used to develop and
maintain scientific equipment that would allow the conduct of good science. To develop
infrastructure, a human capital base must be trained with the necessary competencies and
capabilities to plan, organize, lead, coordinate and ultimately ensure that systems and
resources are in place for implementation. This is evident when considering the repercussions
of building competences of engineers and science, technology and engineering (STE)
professionals. Governments will need to make the necessary steps to ensure this enabling
environment exists towards building research innovations.

Realizing the full potential of adopting managerial technology to support sustainable socio-
economic growth and development, and improving African competitiveness in global research
and innovation, require that Member States continue to expand the availability of quality post-
graduate education, and in particular programs leading to doctoral qualifications. To achieve
this goal, Member States must take a systematic and coordinated approach to human capital
development and popularizing research and innovation as potential career paths at both
secondary and higher education levels. Furthermore, deliberate measures should be taken to
curb brain drain so that the limited means of the continent are not transformed to investment
in other continents. This is to ensure that the continental intellectual capacity can be
effectively harnessed to drive Africa’s socio-economic development. Measuring impact will
be based on comparative annual Performance Metrics including increase in number of
Africans trained, increase in research and innovation output at national and regional level,
increase in qualified staff to support expansion of intensive research and research centers
(especially multi-stakeholder Centers of Excellence) on the continent.

A multi-disciplinary approach to Collaborative Open Innovation and Entrepreneurship is

essential to achieving the Knowledge Economy and sustainable socio-economic development
across Africa. Increasing networking and collaboration between education and research,
private and public sector stakeholders (at both national and regional level) will facilitate co-
creation, adaptation and commercialization of research and innovation outputs while ensuring
research and innovation programs will be regularly valorized for impact and alignment with
national and regional policy objectives as these continue to evolve. This will result in better
public services (including entrepreneurial innovation), the creation of new economic sectors,
wider employment opportunities in the formal economy and commercialization of
technologies with regional relevance and global potential.

The successful implementation of these policies primarily depends on the suitability of the
chosen institutional arrangement, the capacities and complementarities of the institutions
involved. African Heads of State and Governments will champion and popularize the
integration of new innovative means in national, regional and continental development
policies, programs and frameworks. To strengthen and champion it at the continental level, it
is important that a high level support back it up. Member States will mobilize funds, active
participation and contributions from public, private, education and research, societal,
international development and funding sector stakeholders to implement the various
initiatives emanating from this strategy. Regional Economic Communities will mobilize
funding and align regional plans to this STI Strategy by integrating the strategy in other
sectoral development plans and coordinating program implementation at regional level. They
will also coordinate with the AU and NEPAD Agency in implementation of the STI Strategy
and submit implementation status reports. African Development Bank (AfDB) and other
banks with offices on the continent will finance specific programs and like the other partners,
synergy and complementarily will be best achieved when AfDB programs are informed by
and aligned with the continental strategy. Development Partners: Similarly, international,
continental and national development partner institutions, including civil society and the
media will support implementation of the STI Strategy at all levels by providing financial and
technical assistance They will also play important multiplier roles in popularizing the
importance of research and. innovation in Africa’s development. Regional and International
Research Institutions: institutions with a regional or international mandate must perform
research and align their priorities to the strategy.

An effective strategy for developing the technology portfolio and self-sufficiency of

developing countries should include several elements such as identification of indigenous
technologies that can be developed at local levels, research laboratories and universities,
selective acquisition of advanced technologies from foreign partners, detailed surveys of local
consumers to identify their products needs in order to determine the specific technology
requirements for local producers and the inclusion of scientists and managers able to
effectively manage technology products.