A Pan-Africanist and human rights activist, Professor Patrick Lumumba, and the President of African Development Bank, Prof. Akinwunmi Adesina are to speak at the 15th General Assembly and Scientific Conference of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) slated to hold in Abuja.
Secretary-General of AAS, Prof. Friday Okonofua, who addressed newsmen Wednesday in Abuja on behalf of the President of the Academy, Professor Lise Korsten at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, officially announced the conference to hold from 9th to 12th December, 2024.
Okonofua, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin, Benin City, expressed confidence that the outcomes of the conference hold great promise for re-positioning Africa to a new way of thinking about science and leveraging its potential to promote Africa’s development and its future.
He also disclosed that recent scientific discoveries and innovations by scientists would be showcased and discussed during various sessions at conference, Okonofua said is the first holding in West Africa since the pan-African learned society was formed in 1985.
He said during the conference, new Fellows will be admitted into the Academy, while the recipient of the Olusegun Obasanjo price and other awards will be announced.
He said the conference with theme: Empowering and Advancing Africa’s Scientific Enterprise, would bring together some 1,000 outstanding thinkers, experts, and stakeholders from around the world, including policymakers, regional science bodies, development partners, and key leaders in the continent.
He highlighted some of the benefits of the conference to Nigeria and the entire African continent, saying the conference would cover subthemes including: Health, climate change, science diplomacy, science Infrastructure, agriculture, social science and policy, the basic sciences, engineering, digital and creative economy, and future funding mechanisms.
He said the goal was to think about ways to use the firmament of science to ensure the development of Africa, adding that science could result in so many outcomes which would be beneficial in so many ways to the African continent.
According to him, AAS through its research advocacy efforts and working with governments and development partners is able to showcase how science can lead to the development of African countries.
He revealed that the conference would be declared open by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while the President of the African Development Bank, Professor Akinwunmi Adesina will deliver the keynote address.
“Other presenters who have accepted to deliver papers at the conference include Professor Patrick Lumumba from Nairobi, Kenya, Professor Olubayi Olubayi from Uganda, and Professor Oyewale Tomori, current President of the West African Network of Science Academies,” he said.
Okonofua said: “The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit pan-African learned society formed in 1985 to promote the development of all African countries using the principles and philosophies of science.
“The AAS with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya is governed by a General Assembly of nearly 560 elected Fellows from all African countries, and a Governing Council consisting of officials elected by the General Assembly.
“The 2024 Abuja Conference/General Assembly is the 5th in a roll and is being held for the first time in West Africa.
“We strongly believe that the outcomes of the conference hold great promise for re-positioning Africa to a new way of thinking about science and leveraging its potential to promote Africa’s development and its future,” he stated.
Also, speaking, a former President of African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, and AAS Fellow, Prof. Hilary Inyang, acknowledged the role of the media in the development of society, stressing the need to disseminate information about scientific discoveries for policymakers to act on.
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