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By Jackson Okata
Nairobi, Kenya: At the inaugural CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi, experts issued a bold call to African leaders that technical innovations alone will not solve the continent’s food and climate challenges if political leadership with the courage to act is missing.
Speakers at the high-level event warned that without political commitment, scientific breakthroughs will continue to stall at the laboratory level, far from the farmers who need them.
Prime Minister of Niger and Africa Union’s Special Envoy for Food Systems Dr Ibrahim Mayaki said that Africa has a wealth of technical solutions but lacks political ones.
“Science is a mindset — one focused on solving problems. We need leaders who understand this mindset,” said Mayaki.
Mayaki regretted the limited scientific background among African leaders which he said affects policy formulation and implementation.
Science from the Lab to the Land
According to Mohamed Beavogui, former Prime Minister of Guinea, the gap between innovation and implementation is growing at a dangerous rate.
“Our lands are degrading fast. We still use 20 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare when others use over 130. Climate change brings floods and droughts, and our response is too slow,” he said.
Beavogui accused the continent’s leadership of failing to deliver on the most basic promise of ensuring people have access to nutritious food.
“Farmers lack access to finance, to technology, and women remain excluded from these systems. We need bold, practical, and inclusive leadership.”
Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, a scientist and former President of Mauritius warned that Africa’s continuing brain drain is robbing the continent of the very talent it needs to innovate.
“When leaders are scientists — or even science-literate — they build ecosystems that attract fellow Africans back home,” she said.
Gurib-Fakim emphasized that a future-fit Africa must invest in both people and policy — nurturing talent, building regulatory frameworks, and investing in data to guide decision-making.
Former Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria, noted that to be effective, science and technology require political champions.
“Even if a president is not a scientist, they must surround themselves with experts. But more importantly, they must have the political will to act,” he said.
Jonathan added that many of Africa’s challenges from food systems to digital infrastructure are solvable with the right mix of expertise and leadership courage.
CGIAR Science Week, hosted in partnership with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), brings together leading scientists, policymakers, and innovators to forge partnerships that can accelerate research into action.
