Recent advancements in Frontier Technologies and Innovations (FTI), including artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology have shown significant and tremendous potentials for sustainable development globally. Despite this, Africa appears to be unprepared to equitably use or adopt these technological innovations. Evidence has shown that the ongoing global growth in FTI negatively impacts Africa with multifaceted inequalities ranging from poor global class, persistent poverty, disparities in income-earning opportunities, internet usage, pay gap, poor standards of education and health, etc., resulting majorly from poor adoption of technological innovations and favorable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies, culture, ethics, and values. Significant digital divides were evident between the technologically advanced countries and backward countries such as Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic because technological innovations have become critical tools for addressing the spread of the disease. This study highlights the strategy for coping with FTI for sustainable development in Africa. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was adopted as the study conceptual framework. UTAUT model claims that users' acceptance behavior toward technology is determined by users' decision to use technology and the perceived benefits thereof. The researchers explored a narrative review, analysis, and synthesis of vast works of literature that revealed significant information on strategies for coping with FTI in Africa. The researchers also conjointly extracted peer-reviewed articles among the last five years from electronic databases, engaging some keywords like "Frontier Technologies and Innovations in Africa' 'Coping with Frontier Technologies and Innovations' leveraging resources of Africa via Technology and Innovation", etc. Results show that global progress was associated with sharper inequality between countries, with widening disparities in FTI adoption, literacy level, and access to products, social services such as ICT infrastructure, electrification, education, and health. Results also show that literacy empowerment in Africa especially among women, on technology adoption, policies, culture, ethics, and values may advance sustainable goals, leverage their literacy abilities for FTI adoption, and close widening gaps and inequalities in global FTI.

Research and innovation in tertiary education is a key driver of sustainable economic development of any nation. A global reflection from the perspective of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) clearly shows that global promotion of research and innovation in education is a pivot for knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes to combat challenges against ESD. Despite these global reflections, Nigeria has continued to be among the third world or underdeveloped countries. Moreover, as research and innovation become more complex globally, Nigerian tertiary education is further constrained by poor sponsorship, out-dated Intellectual Property (IP) policies, and non-sustainable ICT innovations despite her huge human resources and other natural endowments. This study highlights the gaps created by these challenging factors and strategies to close them. A narrative review of prior research that focused on the theoretical underpinnings of vast works of literature that revealed significant information on challenges facing research and innovation in tertiary education in Nigeria and strategies to close these gaps was adopted. Peer-reviewed articles within the last five years from electronic databases, using some keywords such as “research”, “innovation”, “tertiary education”, etc, were also extracted. Results show that research and innovation are crippled by out-dated, non-sustainable or virtually non-existent policies, and poor educational system. Findings from this study may encourage research and innovation in our tertiary education that may positively bring about diversified economy, positive social change, and economic development in Nigerian.

No abstract

No abstract