I am often perplexed by the nature of the development of various technological innovations in Ethiopia. Now we have close to 50 universities and quite a few TEVTs from which close to 100 thousand students graduate each year in various fields including science and technology but the level of innovations in technology is still very low.
What are the main bottlenecks behind our inability to further develop our own home grown technologies? Why did the country lag behind in developing new scientific innovations and remained dependent on foreign technologies?
I think everything starts from our botched education system in areas of science and technology. Imagine, we are still using agricultural implements that were popular in the days of Daamat and Axum civilization. Our weavers are still using implements that have been used for more than 4000 years in this country. Our education system, more particularly our approach towards science and technological education has remained theoretical, devoid of the national needs for economic development and progress.
Our education system in the field of technology has become redundant, in some cases irrelevant and stunted partly because it has failed to incorporate home grown technology and knowledge into our education system. I am not saying that no innovation has been introduced in the area of technology in Ethiopia; I am saying that it is not up to the pace of the country’s need for sustainable and transformational development.
Technological education all levels needs to be based on practical application of technology in the lives of our peoples. Technology should contribute to the improvement of the daily life of our people. The governments call for new innovation in the fight against the pandemic should have been called years back irrespective of whether there would be a pandemic or not. However, better late than never.
Ethiopia should have developed much better technological basis to tackle any pandemic long before they had occurred. Our technology has contributed practically nothing to curtail the recurrence of drought and food shortage in the country both in 1974 and ten years later in 1984. We have always been vulnerable to any shockwaves triggered by natural and manmade calamities.
For instance, what have we learned from the proliferation of HIV and AIDS in Ethiopia? Do we have any catalogue of leanings which we can replicate to the struggle against COVID -19 viruses? What was the role of local technologies in preventing the virus? We need new technological innovations always and not only because of COVID-19. We need sustainable technological innovations that should start from square one. I sense that we have lost a lot of opportunities in which we could have developed technological innovations to reduce the damages inflicted on us in pervious manmade and natural disasters.
So, what is to be done? I think we should start from the bottom in strengthening innovations centers in every primary and secondary schools in the country and render support for those who seem to excel in some areas of innovations. What have we done in our adult vocational training centers that mushroomed across the country to effectively ratchet up new technologies ?
As we are in a decisive battle with COVID-19 virus, we need to take advantage of the occasion to invent new innovations across the country and quickly replicate them in the other development sectors.
The government needs to recheck on the activities conducted by the relevant ministries concerned with innovations tasked with coordinating, supporting and preparing standards and qualities under which innovations are assessed, disseminated and used for the betterment of the life of an ordinary citizen in a cheaper price.
The technological innovation in this country needs to be multi-sectoral including agriculture, manufacturing sector, health, creative arts and other sectors. Innovations in Ethiopia need to focus on the needs of disabled persons, women and children.
Ethiopia should also be able to manufacture her own clinical and hospital equipment including multipurpose breathing equipment and other accessories for current and future use.
In terms of disaster mitigation and response, the country needs to develop a capacity in which the most important drugs and medical supplies are manufactured in domestic plants instead of importing them from abroad.
The nation needs technology supported sector oriented quality early warning system and sustained preparedness in which technological innovations could fill the gaps created during disasters.
The national response to the health havoc created by COVID-19 is an excellent dress rehearsal for Ethiopia to effectively tackle future possible disaster outbreaks that could be expected any time in the future.
One of the most important that we can draw from this strange virus is that we can simply not afford to live as we did in the past. Our pattern of life should be reversed in somersaults and not as a slow as snail. Proactive and need based national technological developments is what we need. Our PHDs need to go to workstations where they can develop new technologies as no miracle can be developed in cozy offices.
The Ethiopian Herald May 16/2020
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
