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Speech Transcripts

August 27, 2016

Speech at TICAD VI side event "STS Forum"

Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

I would like to start by thanking Mr. Koji Omi and his colleagues of the STS Forum for letting me deliver these short remarks.

As many of today's panelists have already expressed, capitalizing on Science, Technology and Innovation, or STI, is crucial to expediting Africa's development. Today, I would like to raise some points on how we can harness this power.

First, we must expand our efforts in science and technology. When we think of science and technology innovations, there are numerous examples that come to mind – ARV for HIV/AIDS treatment, maybe even new rice varieties like IR8 that contributed to the green evolution in Asia. For me, I think of the outstanding accomplishments of Professor Omura who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine last year for developing "Ivermectin." This drug has helped to eradicate Onchocerciasis and Filaria and saved millions of people in Africa from becoming blind.

But there are also less traditional innovations that yield extraordinary results. Take M-PESA. M-PESA is a mobile phone-based money transfer and microfinance service that has allowed millions of East Africans to save and invest in their futures. As we can see from M-PESA, information and communications technologies (ICT) allow tremendous possibilities to improve peoples' lives. A business model called "Wassha" is another good example of this. Wassha aims to provide small-scale renewable power to people living in under-populated and low-electrified areas, and monitors power use through the internet. These services help Africa "leapfrog" in their efforts to achieve their development goals.

Second, I would like to highlight the significance of international exchanges and cooperation among universities. There are some Japanese universities that have long been working in Africa and have made great scientific achievements. Hokkaido University in Zambia is a good example. Japanese universities and JICA helped Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya become one of the most prestigious universities in Africa after it originally did not grant bachelor degrees when it was established in 1981 by the government of Kenya.. I think we need to encourage more of these practical exchanges and enhanced cooperation to develop science and technology in Africa. JICA is fully committed to doing its part by using its cooperation scheme called SATREPS, Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Third, as a historian and political scientist by discipline, I must also emphasize the need to further develop our efforts in social sciences and humanities. Social sciences and humanities help us understand cultures, traditions, and values of societies. Without understanding these concepts, innovative science and technology can't be adequately adopted by societies to exert its maximum potential to trigger economic development. Developing social sciences and humanities helps expand people's capacities to open their minds and have an innovative outlook toward their surroundings.

There is no doubt STI can help to transform Africa's vision of development into reality. To do so, we must work together to simultaneously advance both science and technology, and social sciences and humanities. We can't have one without the other.

Together, let's watch the seeds of our innovations take root and blossom. JICA stands ready to support.

Thank you.

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