Chemistry across Africa

Helen Driver, Royal Society of Chemistry

Africa is a continent of great growth and great challenges. Despite having some of the fastest growing economies of today’s world, many African countries still face substantial challenges, such as ensuring food security, clean water and stopping the spread of disease. Currently, African scientists and engineers do not always have the capacity to use the latest scientific and technological advances to tackle these urgent issues.

A sustainable science base, including strengths in chemistry, can help to address these challenges and we are working to support Africa in this development. We want African scientists to be able to collaborate with each other and colleagues from other continents to find sustainable solutions to local problems.

Through the Pan Africa Chemistry Network (PACN) we are already making a difference. The PACN is aiming to enable a self-sustaining science base in Africa and to enhance the number of skilled scientists in Africa through networking, skills development and knowledge creation to support an increase in scientific output and its application to challenges.

Working in partnership

The PACN was set up by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2008 to support the establishment of a sustainable and innovative science base across Africa. Together with our partners we have invested £1.5 million in the PACN between 2008 and 2013 and have collaborated with over 35 different organisations on events and activities.

In partnership with Syngenta, who donated £1 million over five years to increase science capacity in Africa, we established the first three PACN Centres of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry in Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia. These provided the PACN’s foundations. 

Since December 2011, Procter & Gamble have been working with the PACN, and have established further Centres of Excellence in Nigeria to increase local talent in the chemical sciences. P&G collaborate with leading scientists and students to exchange knowledge, enhance skills and generate opportunities for innovation in the areas of hygiene, health and waste management.

Together with P&G, we have established a Collaboration Lab at the University of Lagos, which includes provision of analytical equipment and internships for Nigerian scientists to apply their knowledge to real life industry challenges. The company has also hosted a series of successful conferences in Nigeria, and this year we will build on this success by co-hosting their first event in Nairobi, Kenya on 4 and 5 November.

Ensuring a skilled community

Back in 2008, the PACN launched the report Africa’s Water Quality on World Water Day. Based on input from over 180 international scientists, it highlighted that analytical skills are essential to support chemical monitoring and water management activities in Africa. In response to this, the PACN has enabled a range of training courses across Africa, including multiple courses on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Over 250 scientists from across Africa have been trained through these courses in the last five years. In Kenya alone, these courses have trained participants from 20 African countries. Through these courses we also increase local capacity in training so local expertise can be used to train future participants. These courses have been partially financially supported by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. Their endorsement and support shows the value of these courses to the global community.

Preston Akenga, who attended the course to learn the theory and practical skills necessary for his Masters degree project, explained why the course was so valuable to him: “GC-MS is the most important equipment I used during my studies to identify and quantify pesticide residues in environmental samples from the Mwea region, the main rice growing area of Kenya. Monitoring residue levels in the environment and foodstuffs is very important to protect and maintain good standards, whether for domestic consumption or export. This work enables farmers to make informed decisions about pesticide application.” And he adds: “GC-MS skills are of great importance for African science, including natural products, pharmaceuticals, food and water science. Having researchers across Africa trained in the handling and use of this equipment will enable African science to lead the way to solve the challenges we face in Africa.”

Another previous participant, Frederick Munga, attended the course in 2011 to better understand the technique for use in Kenya’s coffee industry. “I have used the skills I gained to develop mass spectral libraries of the volatile compounds in Kenyan coffee, to assess the differences across different genotypes in commercial cultivation and in breeding trials,” he comments. The skills he learnt also helped him progress his career: “My knowledge and experience of GC-MS has been crucial in my career at the Coffee Research Foundation and now at Bio Sciences East and Central Africa. I have also been fortunate to be able to share my knowledge by facilitating two hands-on training seminars for the upstream and downstream oil industry in Kenya and Uganda.”

Working with our members

In addition to the PACN activities, we also have three Local Sections in Africa, two in South Africa (South and North) and a newly established section in Nigeria. The Sections conduct a variety of activities, including networking opportunities, scientific meetings and educational and outreach work. 

One highlight has been the partnership between the South Africa North Local Section and the Sci-Bono science centre in Johannesburg, which enabled Sci-Bono to set up an extensive chemistry education outreach project. Through it, 14 specialist teachers regularly visit over 50 primary and secondary schools across Guateng province. Dr Ian Bratt Chair of South Africa North Local Section, says: “Our best move was to link with Sci-Bono. With their expertise and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s financial assistance, we have sponsored a van which travels regularly to schools to teach chemistry to students who would otherwise not receive science lessons.”

We encourage all of our members in South Africa and Nigeria who would like to get involved in these activities to get in touch with their Local Section. We also have RSC Representatives in Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia and Mauritius who act as a point of contact within their country, and we would love to hear from others who are interested in becoming an RSC Representative or establishing a Local Section.

Archives for Africa

To foster scientific knowledge and research, we also make our entire Journals Archive (1841-2007) freely available electronically to African countries and other developing regions. We believe that this will make a major contribution towards building scientific capacity. If your educational or non-commercial research institution does not yet make use of this offer, contact your librarian. They will be able to register for access online.

Join us

We have a long-term commitment to African chemistry and would like to build on the success so far. To do so, we are keen to expand our network of colleagues and partner organisations who share our vision for Africa.
The PACN is open to anyone. So whether you are an African scientist, a company working in Africa or just interested in our activities, you can be part of this expanding network of colleagues working towards a sustainable science base in Africa.

Find out more about the international representatives and sections.