Chidimma Uchegbu, Abuja
All is set for the 15th General Assembly and Scientific Conference of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) which is billed to hold in Abuja from December 9 to 12, 2024.
Professor Friday Okonofua, announced the date for the conference while addressing journalists at a press meeting in Abuja. He represented the AAS President, Professor Lise Korsten, at the meeting.
The conference with the theme “Empowering and Advancing Africa’s Scientific Enterprise” is expected to have over 1000 delegates and attendees, with outstanding thinkers and stakeholders.
According to him, the AAS is a non-aligned, non-political, and not-for-profit organization, aimed to transform lives through science, “with a tripartite mandate: recognizing excellence, providing advisory and think tank functions, and implementing key STI programs.”
“The AAS with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya is governed by a General Assembly of nearly 560 elected Fellows from all African countries, and a Governing Council consisting of officials elected by the General Assembly.
“The officials consist of a President, a Secretary General, Treasurer, and five Vice-Presidents each elected to represent the five sub-regions of Africa. The current Governing Council was elected in July 2023 for a three-year term. The 2024 Abuja Conference/General Assembly will be the fifth on the roll, and is being held for the first time in West Africa,” he explained.
Sub themes of the conference will center on health, climate change, science diplomacy, science infrastructure agriculture, social science and policy, basic sciences, engineering, digital and creative economy, and future funding mechanisms.
The conference will also admit new Fellows into the Academy and announce the recipient of the Olusegun Obasanjo Prize and other awards.
