We need to develop and implement an action agenda designed to sustain and expand broad-based efforts for capacity building in science, technology and innovation in Africa. The tripolar world of science and technology  anchored in the United States, Europe and Japan is being transformed into a multipolar world of science marked by the growing capabilities of Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, South Africa and others. The critical issue is this: As the list of developing countries that garner strength in science and technology increases in the coming years, will Africa also join the fold? The chances for success have rarely been brighter. The consequences of neglect and indifference have rarely been more troubling. Africa, with the help of the international community, must seize the moment. If it doesn't, the promise of Africa will again remain unfulfilled with consequences that extend far beyond the continent.

What must African countries and their partners do to promote science, technology and innovation?

First, African countries must institute educational reforms that make science more interesting and attractive to young people. This means devising a more hands-on approach to scientific study in the classroom, emphasizing learning by doing rather than the rote memorization that has historically characterised scientific learning, especially in biology. La main à la pâte, launched by the French Academy of Sciences a few years ago, has become a much-emulated strategy for educational reform in science. The results have been encouraging, outlining a blueprint for success that can be emulated by others.

Second, African countries must support programmes to increase scientific literacy among both children and adults. Rapid advances in science mean that science education must be a lifelong endeavour. The media can play a vital role in this effort. For example, the London-based electronic portal SciDev.Net, which is supported by a host of aid agencies and foundations and which receives valuable assistance from Science and Nature magazines and TWAS, has helped raise global awareness of science and economic initiatives in the developing world.

Third, African universities must be reformed and strengthened. Each African country must have at least one world-class research university that sets national standards for quality education and research and attracts the best and brightest students. World class universities in Africa can play a critical role in advancing science and technology both in and with Africa.

Fourth, African countries must train a new generation of problem-solving scientists and turn science into a demand-driven exercise in which research questions are often determined by critical social and economic needs. The 'sustainability science' initiative, launched by a group of scientists several years ago, has proven a valuable first step in drawing science closer to society. But much more needs to be done.

Fifth, African countries must build and sustain scientific centres of excellence. This is especially important for the 'poorest' developing countries where a culture of scientific excellence has yet to take hold. The G8 pledge made in 2003 to provide US$3 billion over 10 years to help build scientific centres of excellence remains an unfulfilled promise that awaits realization.

Sixth, African and other developing countries must learn to share their "successful experiences" in the application of science and technology to address critical social and economic needs. The developing world's efforts in this regard have been largely hidden from view, but thanks to the work of such organizations as TWAS and the UNDP's Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, information about developing world, science-based initiatives that have successfully addressed critical issues related to poverty, public health and the environment, are now reaching larger audiences both in the developed and developing world.

Seventh, African countries must bolster their merit-based science academies. These academies often include a nation's most prominent scientists. Yet, they have often been relegated to the status of genteel men's clubs and have failed to play a prominent role in national discussions related to science-based policy issues. The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), the Inter Academy Panel on International Issues (IAP) and other institutions are actively seeking to change this mindset and to strengthen the capabilities of academies, especially when it comes to interacting with policy makers.

Eighth, African countries must follow the path of other countries in establishing and supporting science foundations that provide merit-based, competitive grants to scientists and scientific institutions. In Africa, for example, there is only one nation — South Africa — with such a foundation in place. More countries should adopt this strategy.

Ninth, for too many years, Africa lamented the loss of scientists who were trained in their own countries but who subsequently pursued their careers in the North. As China and India have shown, this brain-drain can be turned into a brain-gain by devising effective strategies to engage a nation's scientific diaspora for the benefit of their home countries. Scientific exchange programmes, visiting professorships, and joint research projects are examples of South-North scientific cooperation that can be advantageous for both scientifically proficient and scientifically lagging countries.

Tenth, the majority of African countries do not have sufficient resources and expertise to build and maintain up-to-date electronic communication systems. Bandwidths are still too narrow in most countries, and expensive online subscription rates prevent many scientists from having immediate access to the most current literature. The 'Science with Africa' initiative should help African scientists gain electronic access to the most current scientific literature.