----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Mensah" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 10:41 AM Subject: [unioNews] Nepad opens new centre for bioresearch Thursday February 05, 2004 <H3>Nepad opens new centre for bioresearch</H3> By Naftali Mungai <B><i>African scientists have identified centres of excellence as the best avenue for spearheading scientific research in the continent.</i></B> In a meeting that was held in Nairobi last week, the scientists agreed unanimously that the generation and utilisation of cutting- edge science and technology in Africa will enable researchers and farmers in the continent to increase productivity and improve the quality of food where conventional methods have failed. This was said by Prof Norah Olembo of the University of Nairobi and Biotechnology Trust Africa when she addressed a meeting of African scientists , the 'Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on the Biosciences Facility in Africa'. Olembo, who is a member of the interim steering committee of the biosciences facility to be established in Kenya, was speaking on behalf of the committee chairman, Dr Romano Kiome, who is also the director of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). The meeting that ended last Friday brought together African scientists under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) initiative. Olembo said that NEPAD's goal in science and technology is "to harness and apply science and technology to fight poverty, improve health, achieve environmental sustainability and industrialization while contributing to global science and innovation." She said that biosciences is one of the four areas of focus by NEPAD intended to fight poverty in Africa. Other areas are communication sciences, geosciences and environmental sciences. The centre, to be located at the International Livestock Research Centre (ILRI) campus in Kabete, will serve the Eastern and Central African region. Its main thrust will be to complement and support agricultural research institutions and individuals in the region by providing opportunities to researchers to conduct cutting edge scientific investigation in well equipped laboratories. "Lack of such facilities in Africa has been a major setback to innovation, leading to serious brain drain," she told the meeting. Speaking at the same function, the director of biotechnology at the ILRI, Dr Ed Rege, said that the centre is the first in a network of centres of excellence being established under the NEPAD initiative. He said that ILRI had been chosen to host the centre because of its long involvement in capacity building in biosciences relevant for livestock research. In May 2003, the Canadian Government, under the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), agreed to fund the centre by providing C$30 million. The Canadian Government stressed that this contribution directly responded to "the priorities and proposals put together by NEPAD." The Canadian Minister for International Cooperation, Susan Whelan, launched the centre on October 31, 2003 and on November 3-7, a NEPAD ministerial conference on science and technology was held in Johannesburg where it was announced to the member countries. Other donors are the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gatsby Trust as well as the Doyle Foundation of Australia. Dr Rege said that the objective of the meeting was to provide a platform for key stakeholders to "make needed critical input into the design, scope, operations and governance of the planned facility." Addressing the same meting, the director for partnerships at the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Dr Onesmo ole Moi Yoi, also a member of the steering committee, said that what Africa needs are institutions that are functional otherwise it will miss out on the scientific revolution taking place in the developed world like it missed out on the Green Revolution. He cautioned against the risk of producing a white elephant by making sure that the facility's programmes are relevant to the needs of the stakeholders. Among the priority crops that will benefit from the biosciences initiative are maize, sorghum, pigeon pea, groundnuts, cotton, cassava, banana, potato, citrus, coffee, sweet potato and sugarcane. *** Naftali Mungai is the Science Editor, Daily Nation Copyright © 2004, Nation Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. ------------------------ Yahoo! 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