ACADEMIA AS CATALYST IN CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT AND NET

ACADEMIA AS CATALYST IN CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT AND NET WORK: A CASE FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE WEST AFRICA REGION B. A. ADEWUMI Department of Food Science and Engineering Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Email: babatunde_adewumi@yahoo. com A. F. ALONGE Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

PRESENTATION LAYOUT • CLUSTER • HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF INNOVATIVE CLUSTER • INNOVATIVE CLUSTER IN THE WEST AFRICA REGION • ROLES OF ACADEMIA IN THE WEST AFRICA REGION • A CASE: FRUIT PRODUCTION & PROCESSING • CONCLUSION

CLUSTER Natural Cluster Characteristics include: • Traditional and local in nature • Age long • Simple in outlook • Non sharing, resistant to new ideas and highly conservative • Low skill • Very small scale of operation

Cluster (Contd. ) Innovative Cluster Characteristics include: • Modern and global in outlook • Knowledge based • Competitive • Scientific in approach • Improved scale of production • Requires all levels of skill, including high level skilled labor

Cluster (Contd. ) • Cluster is not a new concept • It started naturally (organic cluster), however innovative cluster is a scientific and technical dimension • Innovative cluster adds value, improves efficiency and supports a liberalized economy

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF INNOVATIVE CLUSTER • The naturally occurring cluster may have a level of ingenuity, its scientific content and knowledge base is low and therefore not regarded as innovative cluster. • It may however be upgraded to an innovative cluster

Historical perspective of innovative cluster (Contd. ) • Innovative cluster was noticeable at the inception of civilization and modern science • The Bible has some records of trade clusters that are responsible for international trades between Israel and other nations • Slave traders also seemed to be organized in clusters

Historical perspective of innovative cluster (Contd. ) • The developed nations have more organized innovative clusters, compared with the developing nations because of their exposures to modern science and technology • Western nations, such as UK and US, with longer exposures to modern science have welled structured and organized clusters, especially in high technology fields such as fiber optics

Historical perspective of innovative cluster (Contd. ) • The experiences of the developed nations in cluster practice has given them an advantage over the developing nation • It is interesting to see some nations in Africa and Asia such as Japan, China, India, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania playing key roles in cluster development, practice and network

Historical perspective of innovative cluster (Contd. ) • South and East African nations are already in the main stream of innovative cluster development and network • West African nations, especially Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal are gradually picking up • North and central African nations are yet to be involved in cluster networks

INNOVATIVE CLUSTER IN THE WEST AFRICA REGION • Innovative cluster started lately in the West Africa Region, with Ghana playing a leading role and closely followed by Nigeria. The presence of Thomas Winter played and advantage for Ghana • The ECOWAS PACF was initiated in Ethiopia during the April, 2008 PACF held in Ethiopia where an advisory Council was constituted with Prof Femi Bamiro (Nigeria) as Interim Chair and Dr George Essegbey as Interim Secretary

Innovative Cluster in the West Africa Region (Contd. ) • Several country meetings were held by members in Nigeria and Ghana after the PACF in Ethiopia • The first meeting of the ECOWAS PACF was hosted by Ghana in September, 2008 with 25 delegates from Ghana and Nigeria in attendance where it was agreed that the ECOWAS building in Abuja, Nigeria shall be the official secretariat of ECOWAS PACF

ROLES OF ACADEMIA IN THE WEST AFRICA REGION • The development and networking of structured innovative cluster is relatively new in the ECOWAS region • The academia therefore has key roles to play to promote the development and networking of structured innovative cluster in the West African nations • These include the under listed:

Roles of Academia in the West Africa Region (Contd. ) Cluster Mapping: • Identify clusters with competitive advantages • Classify the identified clusters • Identify clusters with potentials for networks Research: • Local content approach • All embracing research including humanities, sociology, economics, etc • Identify marketable local agricultural and natural product or resources

Roles of Academia in the West Africa Region (Contd. ) • Identify existing technologies • Initiate researches to develop and improve existing technologies, structures and facilities to solve local and national problems Development & Training: • Develop pilot prototypes for demonstration and extension • Develop commercial prototype for patenting and manufacturing

Roles of Academia in the West Africa Region (Contd. ) • Develop new products, processes and technologies with added value from and for existing raw materials • Develop sociological programmes for attitude change • Develop and integrate academic curriculum in cluster and competitiveness • Organize training and educative programmes for various stake holders • Technology transfer programmes

Roles of Academia in the West Africa Region (Contd. ) Other Roles: • Influence policies on competitiveness and cluster development and net works (Indirect) • Serve as facilitator or role models for cluster facilitators

A CASE: FRUIT PRODUCTION & PROCESSING • More than 70% of the population of Africa is pre occupied in farming for their livelihood • Africa is rated next to India in the global production of tropical fruit • However, record of post harvest losses of fruits in Africa is very high with Nigeria having up to 50% and Malawi up to 70% • Fruit can be processed into juice, concentrate and other durable products with added value

A Case: Fruit Production & processing (Contd. ) 6 specialized fruit production and fruit processing clusters are proposed for Nigeria in one of my published articles: • small & medium scale fruit production industry • large scale fruit production industry • small & medium scale primary fruit processing industry

A Case: Fruit Production & processing (Contd. ) • large scale primary fruit processing industry • small & medium scale secondary fruit processing industry, and • large scale secondary fruit processing industry The 6 proposed clusters shall boost the economy of up to 20 million people in urban and rural communities in Nigeria and support the export of value added fruit products to African and Western counties

CONCLUSION The academia has a Catalytic Central role to play in the development and networking of well structured innovative clusters in the emerging ECOWAS PACF

Thank you 4 d audience Happy Xmas and Prosperous new year in advance