Project Overview
The youth are Africa's greatest asset. Africa's youth population is rapidly growing and expected to double to over 830 million by 2050 (AfDB, 2016). If properly harnessed, this increase could support increased productivity and stronger, more inclusive economic growth. Unfortunately, the majority of youth do not have stable economic opportunities. Of Africa's nearly 420 million youth aged 15-35, one-third are unemployed and discouraged, another third are vulnerably employed, and only one in six is in wage employment (AfDB, 2016). While 10 to 12 million youth enter the workforce each year, only 3.1 million jobs are created, leaving vast numbers of youth unemployed.
Africa as a whole lacks robust policies and plans on science, technology and innovation (STI), which slows down its progress in attaining industrialization and economic development (Ozor, 2020). To make effective policies, the use of evidence is paramount (Bowen & Zwi, 2005). Besides, there is insufficient documentation of technological innovations especially by youth and women that could be supported for commercialization.
Against this backdrop, the TIDE project proposes to review the STI policy and institutional landscape/ecosystem in selected sub-Saharan African countries with a view to understanding their statuses, what works (successes), what doesn't work (failures) and why (reasons for successes or failures).
