UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT

UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT
n In October 2011, the president launched the Youth
Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (You Win) 18 grant
scheme to generate jobs. By 2015, some 3 600 aspiring
entrepreneurs between 18 and 45 years had received up
to 10 million naira each (US$ 56 000) to help them launch
or expand their business, mitigate start-up risks or set up
spin-offs from existing businesses. A fledgling ICT business
and dental clinic figure among the recipients.
One of the goals of Vision 20:2020 is to diversify the economy,
yet, by 2015, oil and gas still accounted for 35% of Nigeria’s
economic output and 90% of its exports, according to OPEC.
With the Brent crude price having more than halved to about
US$ 50 since mid-2014, Nigeria has devalued the naira and
announced plans to cut public spending by 6% in 2015. More
than ever, economic diversification is an urgent necessity.
SENEGAL
A focus on higher education reform
In 2012, Senegal adopted a National Strategy
for Economic and Social Development for
2013–2017, based on the vision of its Senegal Emerging Plan,
Senegal’s development plan for becoming an upper middleincome
country by 2035. Both documents consider higher
education and research as a springboard to socio-economic
development and thus a priority for reform.
In early 2013, a national dialogue was held on the future of
higher education. It produced 78 recommendations that the
Ministry of Higher Education and Research has since translated
into an action plan entitled Priority Programme Reform and
the Development Plan for Higher Education and Research,
2013–2017 (PDESR). This action plan was adopted in stages by
the Presidential Council on Higher Education and Research
through 11 presidential decisions taken by the Head of State,
including a funding commitment of US$ 600 million over five
years.
In its first year of implementation, PDESR created three
new public universities: the University of Sine Saloum of
Kaolack in central Senegal, specializing in agriculture, the
Second University of Dakar, situated 30 km from Dakar and
specializing in basic sciences, and the Virtual University of
Senegal. Within the plan, a network of vocational training
institutes and upgraded laboratories has been developed
with the introduction of high bandwidth to connect public
universities with one another.
A lot remains to be done, however. There is little synergy
in R&D, which suffers from a low budget and inadequate
18. See: www.youwin.org.ng
equipment, a low status for researchers and a lack of
university–industry linkages. Research results are also
insufficiently applied, owing to weak oversight and relatively
low scientific output (Figure 18.6).
New governing bodies and an astronomical observatory
The creation of a National Council of Higher Education,
Research, Innovation, Science and Technology in 2015
should allow Senegal to meet some of these challenges.
It will act as a consultative committee to the Minister of
Higher Education and Research and as a monitoring body.
The ongoing construction of Senegal’s first planetarium and
mini-astronomical observatory could also be a sign of a
growing science culture.
A law passed in December 2014 should also help to galvanize
research. The law creates a governing board for universities.
Half of board members must be external to the university,
such as from the private sector.
Another new development has been the creation of the
Directorate-General for Research in 2014. Placed under the
Ministry of Higher Education and Research, it is responsible
for planning and co-ordinating research at the national level,
especially that conducted by universities and academic
research institutes. The ministry relies on the National Agency
for Applied Scientific Research, the National Academy of
Science and Technology of Senegal and the Senegalese
Agency for Intellectual Property and Technological Innovation
to promote Senegalese research.
Some national research institutions fall under the authority
of other ministries, such as the Institute for Food Technology
(Ministry of Mines and Industry), the Senegalese Institute
for Agricultural Research and the National Institute for Soil
Science (Ministry of Agriculture).
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research runs an
extension programme called Centres for Research and
Experimentation to promote technology transfer. These
centres popularize innovative research that improves social
welfare.
Several research funds, including one targeting women
The public sector uses a variety of instruments to fund
research:
n the Impulse Fund for Scientific and Technical Research, set
up in 1973 and transformed in 2015 into the National Fund
for Research and Innovation;
n the Project for Supporting and Promoting Female Teachers
and Researchers in Senegal (2013), which only funds
women applicants;
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