Members of the International Committee Committed to the Success of the Second Edition of the Fari in Benin

“African youth, innovation and entrepreneurship: building a sustainable future”. This will be the main theme of the 2nd edition of the Forum for African Research and Innovation (FARI), to be held in Benin from 5 to 9 May 2025. This was one of the decisions taken at the meeting of the International Committee for the preparation of this event, which ended on Friday 28 June 2024 in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin.

To ensure the smooth organisation and success of FARI-2025, recommendations were made to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), its Member States and technical and financial partners.

Regarding the latter, in particular the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), participants called for their support for the event through the mobilisation of financial resources and technical support.

As for ECOWAS, the organisation is being asked to raise awareness of the event among the management of the Commission and to ensure its involvement in the participation of West African Ministers, Heads of Institutions and Heads of State in FARI-2025. The regional organisation is also expected to put in place a communication and resource mobilisation strategy to ensure the success of the Forum.

It was suggested that ECOWAS Member States should promote FARI-2025 at national level to mobilise all stakeholders.

In addition to these various recommendations, participants validated the terms of reference of the scientific committee, the roadmap and the specifications of the host country (Benin) for the practical organisation, the discussion panels and the start-up training theme, as well as the sub-themes for the main theme of FARI-2025.

For the representative of the Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, the main theme of FARI-2025 is a promising one, as it places the youth at the heart not only of innovation and science, but also of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of ECOWAS.

“Through the participation of inventors and start-ups, FARI-2025 puts young people at the heart of the debates and aims to contribute to finding solutions for the youth of the region”, said the Acting Director of Education, Science and Culture of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Roland Kouakou.

The ECOWAS Commission, he added, will implement the roadmap leading up to the Forum in compliance with the procedures of the regional organisation.

As for the Director General of Research and Innovation, Prof. Clement Agbangla, representing Benin’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Eleonore Yayi Ladekan, he reassured participants of Benin’s adequate logistical capacities and of the security and media measures that will be taken to ensure the success of FARI in 2025 in his country.

As a reminder, it was on 8 December 2018, in Cotonou, that the 3rd meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in charge of science, technology and innovation adopted the recommendation on the creation of the FARI.

The Forum for African Research and Innovation (FARI) is the ECOWAS forum dedicated to science, technology and innovation. It stems from strategic axis 5 of the Action Plan of the regional organisation’s science, technology and innovation policy.

FARI is also the forum dedicated to promoting inventions and innovation by showcasing the region’s inventors and start-ups. Eventually, it should be accredited as one of the major science and innovation events in the ECOWAS region.