Tackling Africa’s Scientific and Technological Underdevelopment: The Role of the Humanities

Abstract

One major factor responsible for Africa’s underdevelopment is the continent’s weak scientific and technological capacity. Policy makers have subsequently been focusing on the natural sciences with perfunctory attention being accorded the humanities. Even the academy in Africa reflects this trend. This paper argues for commensurate emphasis to be placed on the capacity of the humanities in order to nurture thinkers and to cultivate the relevant consciousness to counter the complexes that negatively impact the confidence of the African people relative to their capability to create a robust scientific and technological culture.

Keywords

• scie nce and technology
• humanities
• development
• Africa
• history