Welcome to Nature Africa, a new digital magazine to shine a light on the research taking place in Africa, and the science community seeking answers and solutions. The editorial team will work to make the website a vibrant destination for scientists at different levels across the disciplines, readers interested in research taking place across the continent, as well as policymakers eager to see what’s catching attention.
For decades, Africa was not renowned as a scientific force. In the early 2000s the whole continent accounted for around 1 percent of the global research output, but in many parts of Africa that share has been rapidly increasing over the past few years. The number of African researchers has also grown, and many of those working and studying abroad are returning home to set up their own labs to train the next generation of scientists.
While it is starting from a comparatively low base, the number of African authors, and research papers contributed to by African scientists, is growing faster than most other regions of the world.
There are causes for concern, however. Brain drain continues to be one of the most serious challenges facing African states. Valued and brilliant scientists continue to leave, often aggravating the challenges facing their colleagues and peers back home. Resources are often scarce and many laboratories lack equipment that their Western counterparts would view as basic equipment, let alone modern and more sophisticated facilities. Red tape, and a lack of clear research priorities, mean that researchers also often need to jump through hoops just to be able to do their work.
Through Nature Africa, we hope to tell, and be part of the African science growth story. The website will cover the best and highest impact research taking place in Africa and communicate it across the continent and also globally. The global science community may not be aware of the exciting work that African researchers are doing, but the website hopes to fill that gap, creating opportunities for collaborations with the West.
There is also huge potential for ‘South-South’ collaboration on research, which can drive development across African nations and other developing countries.
We want the website to be a home for African scientists, whether they live in Africa or abroad. It is there to celebrate their work, but will also hold them accountable and challenge them. We believe vigilance and criticism is vital for the expansion and improvement of science.
Through Nature Africa, we hope we can help make scientists an integral part of the next phase in Africa’s rapid growth. We want to help reach out to decision-makers and supply them with evidence-based, accurate and relevant information on many scientific areas, ranging from how to protect the environment, to tackling serious infectious diseases.
We want to give a voice to prominent and emerging members of the community as these policies are formed and to create lively debate around them. Science will be the most important factor for the development of Africa. We have already seen the first seeds of the continent’s investment in science spring to life, but there is still potential for much more.
We hope that wherever they are African scientists will be part of the stories we tell, and that Nature Africa meets its readers’ needs. For so long, the research priorities for Africa have been dictated by organizations and institutes far removed from the continent. It is now time to bring science home.
