SHAUKAT ABDULRAZAK
Africa-Press – Eritrea. During my presentation week at during the 2025 China–Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum in Wuhan, held under the timely and forward-looking theme ‘Joining hands to advance modernisation through innovation cooperation,’ I reaffirmed a powerful truth: that this partnership is not merely aspirational, it is the active construction of a shared future.
It builds on the strong momentum established during last year’s forum, where more than 20 joint science and technology cooperation projects were launched across strategic sectors including agriculture, health, space science and digital transformation.
These collaborations reinforced a shared vision of modernisation grounded in mutual respect, co-creation and tangible societal impact. I emphasised that every forum held must add value to previous one and crafted in such a way that keeps us on track on our aspirations towards first world status.
Our ambition today is firmly aligned with the Focac Beijing Action Plan (2025–27), which places innovation at the heart of our collective modernisation agenda.
The plan prioritises the establishment of a China–Africa innovation cooperation centre and the expansion of joint laboratories, research centres and technology parks.
This institutional development is strengthened by deeper commitments to science diplomacy, personnel exchanges and capacity building, particularly in areas critical to sustainable development such as modern agriculture, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, public health and spatial information technologies. All these are very relevant to Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and Vision 2030.
The long-term vision is further energised by cooperation in the digital economy, where China and Africa are working closely to bridge the digital divide and accelerate digital transformation.
Equally important is the joint pursuit of green development, including clean energy projects, innovation in energy storage and a continental transition toward low-carbon industries. African scientists must know exactly know what they are looking for in this relationship to enhance the socioeconomic transformation.
These principles are already delivering transformative results in Kenya. A shining example is Konza Technopolis, our ‘Silicon Savannah,’ which is rapidly emerging as a continental hub for AI research, deep-tech start-ups and advanced manufacturing.
Here, academia, government and industry collaborate to commercialise emerging technologies. Kenyan innovators are leveraging AI for agricultural diagnostics, accessibility platforms and social impact solutions such as AI-powered translation into Kenyan Sign Language.
Through joint laboratories, incubation hubs and innovation programmes supported by China–Africa cooperation, we are increasingly moving innovations from prototype to scale – creating jobs, commercialising research and uplifting communities.
To strengthen this modernisation agenda, cooperation must be well-resourced, institutionalised and future ready. The Focac plan is backed by significant financial commitments—credit lines, grants and joint investment mechanisms—which must be fully activated to support African innovation ecosystems and MSMEs.
For it to flourish, African countries must also invest in science, technology and innovation ecosystem. We must deepen academia–industry partnerships through joint laboratories, science parks and technology hubs that translate research breakthroughs into real-world solutions. I highlighted the Wuhan and Jkuat joint botanical garden.
Scalable initiatives in AI, biotechnology, clean energy and digital infrastructure require robust public–private partnership, bringing together African and Chinese governments, private sectors, investors and innovators to co-create sustainable development models.
At the continental level, Africa must work through the African Union Commission to strengthen a unified, pan-African innovation network—harmonising policies, integrating markets and enabling innovators to scale solutions across borders to achieve the Africa that we want under Agenda 2063.
Ultimately, modernisation is about people. We must expand opportunities for youth and women through vocational centres, science laboratories engineering academies and entrepreneurship programmes that match skills with emerging market needs.
City of Wuhan is already using robotaxi, I had an opportunity to ride in one and observed safety and discipline in robot driving, I could even pen this article.
The future is already here. At the centre of this effort must be a commitment to ethical and inclusive innovation, ensuring advanced technologies reach underserved communities and leave no one behind.
I further encouraged African countries to scale up funding for frontier technologies and African-led start-ups; strengthen academia–industry linkages and PPPs and build a cohesive, continent-wide innovation ecosystem with the AU as its anchor.
Above all, we must invest in our greatest asset—our youth—providing them with the tools, training, platforms and capital they need to lead Africa’s modernisation.
By doing this, we would build a modern, resilient and inclusive societies powered by science, technology and shared prosperity.
Source: The Star
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