Date: 13th - 15th Nov 2024
Host: University of Ilorin and Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy in Nigeria
The 6th AfricaLics conference aims to address the above issues which are not only common to African countries but have remained on the front burner of discussions around the development of the continent at the global level. The main theme of the conference is The Africa We Want: Leveraging Innovation and Digital Transformation. Papers addressing the main topic and sub-themes are strongly encouraged, but other high-quality papers focusing on innovation and development issues may also be accepted.
Africa’s population is expected to reach about 2.6 billion by 2050, up from the current 1.4 billion. This will require an increase in agricultural and food production by up to 70% to fit the population’s needs, a serious challenge for the agriculture and food systems. Such requirement, in the context of resource scarcity, climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, soaring food prices, and very harsh socioeconomic conjecture, is difficult to attain without the intervention of emerging technologies and innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) to leapfrog the transformations required in the sector.
What We Do
AfricaLics connects scholars working within the areas of innovation and development with specific focus on these issues for African countries. We provide networking opportunities and increase access to education to enhance economic and socially sustainable development in Africa. We provide these opportunities for scholars through various activities including: conferences, PhD academies , visiting fellows programme for PhD students and post-doctoral researchers and dedicated online networking platforms.
Thematic Areas
AfricaLics initially worked within various themes that were seen by scholars involved in the establishment of the network to be under-researched and later has worked to fill some of the gaps. Today members of AfricaLics work on many different topics and thematic areas, ranging from firm level innovation, STI indicators, agricultural innovation systems, innovation and low-carbon development to inclusive innovation and the intersections between innovation and global value chains.
The network currently has two established thematic coordinators: one on development of STI indicators suitable for African contexts and the other on the intersections between innovation and Global Value Chains. Reports from the two thematic coordinators will be posted on our website as they are being completed. Two more thematic coordinators are in the making (on green transition/energy and agricultural innovation systems respectively).
Membership
Members of AfricaLics are expected to be supportive of the goals as they are set out in the preamble above and to act accordingly. They are also expected to take an active part in AfricaLics Conferences and – where relevant – in AfricaLics Academies and participate in other activities of the network.
Alumni Testimonials
Latest News & Blogs
Emerging Technologies and Innovations for Agriculture and Food Systems Security in Africa
Africa’s population is expected to reach about 2.6 billion by 2050, up from the current 1.4 billion. This will require an increase in agricultural and food production by up to 70% to fit the population’s needs, a serious challenge for the agriculture and food systems.
Navigating the Art of Publishing Special Journal Issues: Insights from online AfricaLics Alumni event, October 2023.
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