ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review 2013: high Level Panel on Africa and the LDCs on the theme “International cooperation in the development, adoption, transfer and diffusion of technology

Abstract

African economies are growing and the continent is experiencing a commodity boom. As a consequence government revenues are growing both through increased collection of taxes and through increased revenues from commodity exports. How Africa can use its commodities boom to industrialize is the theme of the 2013 ECA/AUC “Economic Report on Africa” entitled “Making the Most of Africa’s Commodities: Industrializing for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation.” The increase in revenues from commodity exports means that African governments can allocate significantly more money to science, technology and innovation, including building critical capacities in this area. A growing economy not only depends on technologies and innovation but also produces new technologies and innovation in response to its realities.