16 Dec 2025

The launch of National Research Agenda (NRA), marks a significant step toward building a dynamic research and innovation ecosystem in Botswana. Speaking at the launch, Minister of Communications and Innovation, Mr David Tshere, said the NRA signified the beginning of a strengthened national commitment to a knowledge-driven future anchored on science, technology, research, innovation and evidence-based decision-making, key pillars of national development.

Envisioning a transformed Botswana under NRA, Mr Tshere highlighted improved access to services such as remote learning and healthcare through universal connectivity.
He noted that the digital divide would be narrowed, enabling the development of smart communities while addressing unemployment and rural-urban migration.

“The Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) system is widely recognised as the backbone of modern economies around the world, and nations that invested early in research and innovation are now reaping the rewards of inclusive growth, higher productivity and resilience in the face of global shocks,” he said.

While Botswana has strong training and research institutions, supported by sound policies, the minister said the national STI system remained fragmented.

He cited low private-sector participation, inadequate research financing and limited coordination as challenges that had constrained the measurement of progress and socio-economic impact.

He explained that the NRA provided strategic direction by aligning national research efforts across eight priority areas: agriculture, digital economy, energy, environmental sustainability, health, manufacturing, social development and mineral beneficiation.

The agenda, he said, ensured that research responds to national priorities, global trends and community needs, while continuing to support curiosity-driven inquiry.

Mr Tshere further emphasised that the NRA identified critical capability gaps requiring urgent strengthening.

These include postgraduate training and talent retention, world-class research infrastructure and digital systems, cross-sector collaboration, sustainable and diversified research funding, as well as strong research standards, ethics and data protection frameworks.

“For Botswana to thrive in the next decade, we must ensure that our policies, strategies, programmes and actions are built on evidence rather than assumption,” he said, adding that the country aims to significantly increase investment in research and development (R&D).

He noted that while Africa targeted R&D spending of one per cent of GDP, and Botswana’s 2012 policy set a target of two pe rcent, the current government had committed to an ambitious three per cent of GDP.

As a first step toward this goal, he revealed that the National Research Fund, established in November 2024, was now operational, with a Research Fund Management Committee in place to steer solution-oriented research over the next three to four years.

“The ultimate goal is to transform Botswana from a consumer of knowledge into a producer of innovation,” Mr Tshere said. ENDS