Programme

African Economic Conference 2014

Knowledge and innovation for Africa’s transformation

Addis Ababa, 1 - 3 November 2014

 

Draft programme

 

Day one: Saturday, 1 November 2014

8.30 - 9.30 a.m.

Registration of participants

9.30 - 10.30 a.m.

 

CR2

 

Opening ceremony

Moderator: Adam Elhiraika, Director, Macroeconomic Policy Division, ECA

Welcome remarks:

·  Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

·  Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson, African Union Commission (AUC)

·  Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President, AfDB

·  Eugene Owusu, UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia

Keynote address:

Demitu Hambisa, Minister of Science and Technology, Ethiopia

10.30 - 10.45 a.m.

Coffee break

10.45 a.m - 12.30 p.m.

 

 

CR2

Plenary session 1: Knowledge and innovation for Africa’s transformation

Moderator: Addis Alemayehu, 251 Communications

Panellists:

  • Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President, AfDB
  • Adebayo Olukoshi, Director, African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP)
  • Eugene Owusu, UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia
  • Lemma Senbet, Executive Director, African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
  • Anthony Maruping, Commissioner for Economic Affairs, AUC

12.30 - 1 p.m.

Press conference

1 - 2 p.m.

Lunch break

2 - 3.30 p.m.

 

 

CR2

Plenary session 2: Knowledge generation for structural transformation

Moderator: Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President, AfDB

Panellists:

  • Nkosana Moyo, Executive Chair, Mandela Institute for Development Studies
  • Gunilla Carlsson, former Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden
  • Moses Rugutt, Acting Secretary/CEO, National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation, Kenya

 

3.30 - 3.45 p.m.

Coffee break

3.45 - 5.15 p.m.

 

 

CR2

 

Plenary session 3: Adapting skills to 21st century industry requirements

Moderator: Ayodele Odusola, Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP

Panellists:

  • Takyiwaa Manuh, Director, Social Development Policy Division, ECA
  • Hamid Temmar, Minister of Industry, Algeria
  • Hudson Mtegha, Senior Lecturer, School of Mining Engineering, University of Witwatersrand
  • David Noko, Executive Vice President, AngloGold Ashanti

 

5.15 - 6.30 p.m.

 

 

CR2

Launch of the 2014 Report on the Millennium Development Goals

Chair: Jimmy Ocitti, Director , Public Information and Knowledge Management Division, ECA

Presentation of the report: Adam Elhiraika, Director, Macroeconomic Policy Division, ECA

Panellists:

  • Adam Elhiraika, Director, Macroeconomic Policy Division, ECA
  • Anthony Maruping, Commissioner for Economic Affairs, AUC
  • Josephine Ngure, Resident Representative of the AfDB in Ethiopia
  • Ayodele Odusola, Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP

Discussion

Day two: Sunday, 2 November 2014

9 - 11 a.m.

 

 

CR2

 

Plenary session 4: Role of research and innovation in enhancing productivity and competitiveness in Africa

Moderator: Antonio Pedro, Director of the Subregional Office for East Africa, ECA

Panellists:

  • Abebe Shimeles, Research Division Manager, AfDB
  • Kasirim Nwuke, Chief, New Technologies and Innovation Section, ECA
  • Assefa Admassie, Executive Director, Ethiopian Economic Policy Research Institute

 

11 - 11.15 a.m.

Coffee break



11.15 a.m. - 1.30 p.m.

 

Concurrent sessions (morning)

Session 1: Knowledge generation for structural transformation

Room: CR4

Chair: Gabriel Negatu, Director, East Africa Regional Resource Centre

Presenters:

  1. Joseph Atta-Mensah
    “Towards the economic transformation of Africa”
  2. Hilary Nwokeabia
    “Inclusive industrial growth in Africa: the role of institutions for local knowledge”
  3. Taoufik Rajhi
    “Endogenous structural change”
  4. Tebila Nakelse
    “Institutional change, industrialization and structural change out of agriculture”

 

Session 2: Addressing the skills deficit

Room: Caucus Room 11

Chair: Samuel Bwalya, Country Director, UNDP Ethiopia

Presenters:

1.      Zuzana Brixiova
“Skills, gender and productive entrepreneurship in Africa”

2.      Manitra Rakotoariso
“Accumulation and allocation of the investment in human capital for manufacturing growth: evidence from manufacturing industries in selected African countries”

3.      Patrick Nga Ndjobo
Education, composition de la main d’œuvre et productivité des entreprises industrielles au Cameroun

 

Session 3: Technology for Africa’s transformation

Room:

Chair: Kasirim Nwuke, Chief, New Technologies and Innovation Section, ECA

Presenters:

1.      Abdoulaye Seck
“Has economic growth in WAEMU countries benefited from world technology diffusion?”

2.      Eugene            Bempong Nyantakyi
“Technology gap, imported capital goods and productivity of manufacturing plants in sub-Saharan Africa”

3.      Ebaidalla Mahjoub Ebaidalla
“Effect of ICTs on youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa: a panel data analysis”

4.      Houdou Ndambendia
“Exports diversification and knowledge sharing from South-South and South-North economic cooperation: evidence from Central and West Africa”

 

1.30 - 3 p.m.

 

 

Banquet Hall

Conference lunch hosted by ECA: Digital Africa

This working lunch will showcase Africa’s emerging digital entrepreneurs.

Moderator: Jimmy Ocitti, Director, Public Information and Knowledge Management Division, ECA

Keynote address: Anne Githuku-Shongwe, African social entrepreneur

Discussants:

·         Dorothy Gordon, Director-General, Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT Confirmed

·         Dayo Ogunyemi, CEO, 234 Media

 

3 - 6 p.m.

Concurrent sessions (afternoon)

Session 1: Innovationfor Africa’s transformation

Room: CR4

Chair: Victor Konde, New Technologies and Innovation Section, ECA

Presenters:                                                             

  1. 1.      Sassire Napo
    “La protection des droits de propriété intellectuelle est-elle source de croissance économique dans les pays africains?”
  2. Jonathan Munemo
    “Competitive and innovative behaviour of firms in sub-Saharan Africa”
  3. Rajlakshmi De
    “Optimal conditions for innovation: firm-level evidence from Kenya and Uganda”
  4. Martin Ndzana Eloundou
    “Les determinants de l’innovation dans les petites et moyennes entreprises au Cameroun”

Session 2: Knowledge generation for structural transformation

Room: Caucus Room 11

Chair: Angela Lusigi, Policy Advisor, Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP

Presenters:

  1. Alassane Drabo Ferdi
    “Primary agricultural commodity trade and labour market outcomes”
  2. Senakpon Dedehouanou
    “Diversification towards high-value export production, farm household productivity and efficiency in Senegal”
  3. 3.      Harcel Nana Tomen
    “Chaînes de valeur agricole et opportunités de développement pour la promotion de la sécurité alimentaire en Afrique de l’Ouest”

4.      Arbia Chatmi
Globalisation des firmes, délocalisation des activités de service et effets-pays spécifiques”

Session 3: Innovation for structural transformation

Room: Caucus Room 1

Chair: Bernadette Kamgnia-Dia, Acting Director, African Development Institute, AfDB

Presenters:

1.      Chidozie Anyiro
“Adoption of cassava value-added innovation and its implication for rural livelihoods: the case of rural women in Abia State, Nigeria”

2.      Nembot Ndeffo Luc
“Les principaux obstacles à l'innovation en Afrique subsaharienne”

3.      Akplogan Dagbégnon Marc Luc
“Savoir et innovation au service de la transformation structurelle”

Session 4: Education

Room: Large Briefing Room

Chair: Said Adejumobi, Director, Subregional Office for Southern Africa, ECA

Presenters:

1.      Esther Kimani
“The effects of pupil-teacher ratio and expenditure per pupil on educational attainment in South Africa”

2.      Bohmer Bianca
“Testing numeric: evidence from a randomized controlled trial of computer-based mathematics intervention in Cape Town”

3.      Gbetonmasse Somasse
“Public provision of education and educational outcomes – evidence from Benin’s free primary education policy”

4.      Jennifer Okonkwo
“Financing education reforms in Francophone West African countries”

 

4 - 4.15 p.m.

Coffee break

7 - 9.30 p.m.

 

Conference dinner hosted by AfDB: African universities as agents of innovation and development

Venue: Sheraton Hotel Addis Ababa

This round table will be dedicated to the role of African universities in development and innovation. It will be lead exclusively by Vice-Chancellors of African universities.

Moderator: Professor Admasu Tsegae, President of Addis Ababa University

Discussants:

  • Professor George Yobe Kanyama-Phiri, Malawi
  • Professor Abdelkader Derbal, Algeria
  • Professor Angelo Antonio Macuacua, Mozambique

 

DAY THREE: Monday, 3 November 2014

9 - 11 a.m.

 

 

CR2

Plenary session 5: Knowledge and innovation in Africa – scenarios for the future

Moderator: Adeyemi Dipeolu, Director, Capacity Development Division, ECA

Panellists:

·         Gabriel Negatu, Director, East Africa Regional Resource Centre, AfDB

·         Angela Arnott, Working Group Coordinator, Association for the Development of Education in Africa

·         Patrick Noak, Senior Advisor, UNAIDS

·         Dr. Maddalena Campioni Senior Advisor, Office of the UNAIDS Executive Director and Partner at Scenario Development

 

11 - 11.15 a.m.

Coffee break

11.15 a.m. - 12.15 p.m.

 

 

CR2

Closing remarks

·         Adam Elhiraika, Director, Macroeconomic Policy Division, ECA

·         Ayodele Odusola, UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa

·         Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President, AfDB

Presentation of the award for best paper

1 - 2.30 p.m.

Lunch break