Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has cautioned that Africa should not rush to join the global race for scientific milestones such as space exploration, when many of its citizens still struggle to meet basic needs like food security, health, and education.

Speaking at the launch of the Africa Academy of Sciences in Accra on Thursday, 3rd July, Mr Obasanjo said, “We are not ready to go to the moon, but if you cannot go to the moon yet, let us touch our stomach, and then later on, those who are on the moon, we will catch up with them.”

He underscored the importance of rooting scientific advancement in the lived realities of Africans, especially the persistent challenge of hunger.

The former president, a long-standing advocate of pan-African progress, emphasised that while science, innovation, and technology are crucial for Africa’s long-term growth, they cannot thrive in a context of chronic food insecurity.

“I believe that our knowledge, our science, our technology, our innovation should start with our stomach, food. If we can conquer our stomach and fill our stomach with what we produce, what we manufacture, what we process, we will be solving one important problem,” Mr Obasanjo added.

According to him, food self-sufficiency must form the bedrock of any meaningful development agenda.

His guests included the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama. The Africa Academy of Sciences event brought together scientists, policymakers, and development partners from across the continent to explore the future of science in Africa.