REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
THE GAMBIA: COUNTRY REPORT
Regional Workshop on STI Policy
Reviews and Statistics.
Bamako, Mali 10-14 May 2010.
1) S&T Policy Report
a)
Main institution involve in S&T policy; function, mission and structure.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology
(MoHERST) is the main institution in the Gambia involve in S&T policy and
related issues. The Ministry was created in February, 2007 and became
operational in March, 2007.
The Ministry is responsible for policy development, management and
coordination of programmes and activities relating to Higher Education,
Research, Science and Technology to ensure a more meaningful socioeconomic development of The Gambia.
The mission statement of MoHERST is to provide relevant, sustainable and
quality higher and tertiary education, research, science and technology to
support socio-economic development, scientific and technological
advancement, vocational and technical education.
2
The organizational structure of MoHERST
The administrative staff of the Ministry currently on the ground are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Honourable Minister of MoHERST
The Permanent Secretary
Deputy Permanent Secretary
Principal Assistance Secretary
Assistant Secretary
1 Principal Private Secretary
1 Private Secretary
1 Senior Accountant
1 Accounts Clerk
3
Organizational structure cont.
The technical staff currently on the ground are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Director Higher Education
1 Principal Higher Education Officer
2 Senior Higher Education Officers
1 Higher Education Officer
2 Research Officers
1 Science and Technology Officer
4
b) Main R&D funding institutions and mechanisms.
In The Gambia expenses on R&D are not lump into one component as R&D
but instead spread out using various nomenclatures as highlighted in the
table below:
Ministry
Actual 2007
Approved 2008
Estimated 2009
Ministry of Works,
Construction &
Infrastructure
D238,970:00
D3,090,000:00
D2,080,000:00
Ministry of Health
& Social Welfare
Nil
Nil
D365,000:00
Ministry of
Fisheries & Water
Resources
D59,988:00
D80,000:00
D400,000:00
Ministry of Higher
Nil
Education,
Research, Science &
Technology
D700,000:00
D700,000:00
Ministry of Energy
Nil
Nil
D150,000:00
GRAND TOTAL
D298,958:00
US$11,072.52
D4,370,000:00
US$161,851.85
D4,195,000:00
US$155,370.37
5
c) Main R&D performing institutions by sector: Government, Higher
Education, Business enterprise and Private non-profit, and their relative
importance.
• The main R&D performing institutions by sector and their
relative importance are:
Institution
Function
National Agricultural Research Institute
(NARI)
Conduct research in crop and animal
husbandry for improved crop varieties
and animal breeds for food self
sufficiency
Public Health Research & Development
Centre (CIAM)
Engage in research focusing on priority
diseases such as Malaria and HIV/AIDS
International Trypanotolerant Centre
(ITC)
Involve in research in animal diseases
control
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Involve in research in infectious diseases
National Nutrition Agency (NANA)
Specialises in public health nutrition
research
6
d) Main institutions carrying out other S&T activities:
 S&T services;
1.
2.
3.
4.
National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI),
International Trypanotolerant Centre (ITC),
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA)
 Higher Education;
1. University of The Gambia (UTG)
e) Innovation systems. Organisations and sectors with their
roles:
This is not available; however government is encouraging
organizational and institutional involvement in it as enshrined in its
Vision 2020.
7
f - j) STI policy and policy framework
The Gambia does not have a national STI policy. However, the government
is committed to developing a national STI policy.
In light of this, in February – March 2008, ISESCO in partnership with The
Gambia National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) supported a
consultancy on the preparation process for the Development of a Science
and Technology Policy for The Gambia. The exercise attempted to identify
and incorporate the sectoral policies and concerns on what a Science and
Technology Policy for The Gambia should comprise based on the different
challenges peculiar to each sector.
In order to ensure that S&T features in the decision-making process, our
S&T policy must be integrated into the overall development policies of The
Gambia. Government, therefore should develop a national system of
science governance, formulate strategies for science, technology and
innovation and integrate these into national development plans and
programmes.
8
k &l) Challenges faced by scientists and other related issues:
All positive moves in The Gambia are yet to be backed by a
National Science and Technology (S&T) Policy, an instrument
widely recognised as having impact on a country's economic
growth and prosperity. The non existence of a National
Science and Technology Policy not only hinders our
development plans but also creates a situation whereby we
do not have a coordinated sense of direction as well as
guidelines that can trigger research and development (R&D)
in this country. This situation leads to the following
challenges:
• Very little investment in science, technology and innovation.
• Low investment in R&D
• The limited science and technology infrastructure, resources
and capacity;
9
Challenges faced by scientists and other related issues: Cont.
• Lack of critical mass of scientifically literate policy-makers or
decision-makers who appreciate the link between science and
technology and the socio-economic and socio-political issues
to a level where they can commit costly and long-term
investment as a matter of priority;
• Lack of a critical mass of trained and motivated personnel,
policies or appropriate incentives to retain the few Science
and Technology personnel that exist within the system;
• Lack of proper incentives and partnerships with the private
sector to engage in a more strategic and long-term
development of the human resource base; and
• Absence of a formulated policy in some of the sectors.
10
2) S&T Indicators report
i) S&T Indicators
a) Are internationally comparable data used to inform the S&T policy
discussions in your country? If yes, please briefly explain how they are
used. If not, please explain why.
No, they are not used. Because we do not have a national STI policy and
are yet to set up a framework and a taskforce to guide our activities for
the development of an STI policy.
11
S&T Indicators cont.
b) Please describe your country’s priorities for S&T data/Statistics.
The creation and establishment of a policy framework will guide our priority
for data and statistics
ii) Collecting R&D statistics
a)
Does your country produce R&D statistics and indicators? If yes, please
provide a summary of the results of the most recent R&D survey, or provide
us with a copy of your most recent publication. If not, please explain the
reason for this, describing plans to do so in the future, and continue from
iii).
We do not have any national statistics on R&D and indicators. However the
recent Mapping of STI Policy and Institutional Status in The Gambia, May –July
2009, funded by UIS (UNESCO Institute of Statistics) through the UNESCO
Nairobi Office was able to tease out some data on STI and R&D. With the
collected information, the MOHERST has been availed the opportunity to
better organise its STI database and update it with new data.
12
S&T Indicators Cont.
iii) Other S&T statistics
a) Does your country collect innovation statistics?
No. Because there is no national policy framework (which the government
is committed to), institutions have their own polices and collect data but
these data are divorce at the national level. However data is collected by
institutions but is not shared at the national level.
b) Is there any current or planned mechanism to track the careers of
doctoral holders in your country? If so, please briefly describe it.
No. There is no planned mechanism as such.
13