• COMSTEDA 22 opens in Malawi to rethink STEM education for Africa's future

• Leaders urge shift from imported tech to homegrown innovation and skills

• Fewer than 25% of African students pursue STEM, World Bank study shows

The 22nd Conference on Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (COMSTEDA 22) opened on Wednesday at the Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The three-day meeting brings together educators, researchers and policymakers to discuss the theme, “Reimagining STEM for a Pan-African Future: Bridging Education, Innovation, and Sustainable Development Towards Agenda 2063.” The aim is to rethink how science and technology are taught and to position them as key drivers of sustainable development across the continent.

At the opening ceremony, Malawi’s Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Bright Msaka, called for a major shift in how African countries approach science and innovation. He said the continent can no longer rely on imported technology. “This continent will have to compete with the rest of the world, therefore our science and technology must match or probably outpace the science, technology, engineering and mathematics of the other continents so that we not only survive but also thrive,” he said.

His remarks echo the objectives of SMASE-Africa (Strengthening of Mathematics and Science Education in Africa), which works to place STEM education at the center of Africa’s development agenda and turn the continent’s challenges into opportunities for innovation.

President Lazarus Chakwera said Africa has significant human talent and natural resources that remain underused. Strengthening STEM education, he argued, is essential to converting these assets into practical innovations and long-term economic progress.

COMSTEDA 22 comes as Malawi, like many African countries, is updating its curriculum and developing new policies to better prepare students for the demands of the 21st century.

The need for reform is pressing. According to a 2023 World Bank study, fewer than 25 percent of higher education students in Africa choose STEM subjects, a rate widely considered a major obstacle to building a strong pool of scientific and technical talent.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou