International donors are out in force at the summit and practically falling over themselves to fund African development projects.

First up yesterday was incoming UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, followed by Unesco’s Koichiro Matsura who made a strong public pledge that Unesco (not always the biggest of donors) is ready to invest in African Union science initiatives. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a four-strong team here. Italian Prime Minister Prodi flew in briefly yesterday, and Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan is still here.

The reason for Turkey’s presence at the summit becomes clearer after spending a few minutes at the Turkish stand in the summit exhibition hall. Visitors are invited to take away two glossy leaflets. In one, ‘Turkey: A New Partner for Africa’, a smiling Erdogan in pin-stripe suit is pictured on the cover surrounded by poorly-clothed African children each waving a Turkish flag. The second leaflet is called Turkey: Candidate for the United Nations Security Council. Enough said.

International donors are out in force at the summit and practically falling over themselves to fund African development projects.

First up yesterday was incoming UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, followed by Unesco’s Koichiro Matsura who made a strong public pledge that Unesco (not always the biggest of donors) is ready to invest in African Union science initiatives. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a four-strong team here. Italian Prime Minister Prodi flew in briefly yesterday, and Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan is still here.

The reason for Turkey’s presence at the summit becomes clearer after spending a few minutes at the Turkish stand in the summit exhibition hall. Visitors are invited to take away two glossy leaflets. In one, ‘Turkey: A New Partner for Africa’, a smiling Erdogan in pin-stripe suit is pictured on the cover surrounded by poorly-clothed African children each waving a Turkish flag. The second leaflet is called Turkey: Candidate for the United Nations Security Council. Enough said.

Scientists and science ministers ended the inaugural session somewhat in a state of shock. Rather than focus on science, the opening speeches from heads of state focused mostly on the international year of football in Africa. “This is not a football summit,” said one minister as he left the conference hall. Another said: “This is not what we need to pull the continent out of underdevelopment.” Presentations on science and on climate change are up next. Climate change has been rising up the summit agenda over recent weeks and some see the hand of Tony Blair in this.

Scientists and science ministers ended the inaugural session somewhat in a state of shock. Rather than focus on science, the opening speeches from heads of state focused mostly on the international year of football in Africa. “This is not a football summit,” said one minister as he left the conference hall. Another said: “This is not what we need to pull the continent out of underdevelopment.” Presentations on science and on climate change are up next. Climate change has been rising up the summit agenda over recent weeks and some see the hand of Tony Blair in this.

AU Summit: Addis for beginners

Ethiopia is a young democracy, and it occasionally shows. Take my ride to the summit venue. We are twice interrupted by groups of armed soldiers crossing the road: without necessarily looking to see if the road is clear. They don’t need to: the cabbie says he is programmed to stop for soldiers. This habit will take a while to break.

Incomes are low here even by developing-country standards. Shops are small, housed mostly in tin shacks, and there are few signs of the multinationals that are now a normal sight in the capital-cities of higher-income countries in the continent, such as international banks, fast-food chains, and the like.

What you do see are multinationals from the 1970s: oil companies such as Total and Shell run the pumps; Western Union is here (it is a big player in Africa, where remittances from Africans abroad are a major slice of overseas earnings). I also spot the ubiquitous YMCA. Its global network of libraries and hostels remain one of the best-known exports to developing countries. Soviet-built Ladas and 1970s Peugeots cram the roads. A billboard advertises something called the Macmillan Academy. NPG need not worry: it appears to be a primary school, or kindergarten.

My cab eventually joins a queue of limos, and white 4-x-4s with the UN logo in black. Minutes later we are at the summit venue and a world of blackberrys, coffee bars and wifi hotspots awaits. Inside, this could be London or Paris. Outside it most certainly isnt. This is the problem that AU leaders must fix.

AU Summit: Addis for beginners

Ethiopia is a young democracy, and it occasionally shows. Take my ride to the summit venue. We are twice interrupted by groups of armed soldiers crossing the road: without necessarily looking to see if the road is clear. They don’t need to: the cabbie says he is programmed to stop for soldiers. This habit will take a while to break.

Incomes are low here even by developing-country standards. Shops are small, housed mostly in tin shacks, and there are few signs of the multinationals that are now a normal sight in the capital-cities of higher-income countries in the continent, such as international banks, fast-food chains, and the like.

What you do see are multinationals from the 1970s: oil companies such as Total and Shell run the pumps; Western Union is here (it is a big player in Africa, where remittances from Africans abroad are a major slice of overseas earnings). I also spot the ubiquitous YMCA. Its global network of libraries and hostels remain one of the best-known exports to developing countries. Soviet-built Ladas and 1970s Peugeots cram the roads. A billboard advertises something called the Macmillan Academy. NPG need not worry: it appears to be a primary school, or kindergarten.

My cab eventually joins a queue of limos, and white 4-x-4s with the UN logo in black. Minutes later we are at the summit venue and a world of blackberrys, coffee bars and wifi hotspots awaits. Inside, this could be London or Paris. Outside it most certainly isnt. This is the problem that AU leaders must fix.

Two years of painstaking preparations are over. The world’s gaze has descended on Addis Ababa to see whether Africa’s leaders will deliver on their promises to get real about science and technology. Can Addis live upto expectations? We will know in the next two days.

In the final weeks and months before this meeting, the signs were decidedly mixed. There was little consensus for example on a new Africa-wide research fund; nor on an idea to set up a council of presidents to keep an eye on political commitments on science.

A new 20-year strategy for biotechnology may get the green-light. If this happens, it will signal a much-needed truce in Africa’s very own science-wars – the damaging conflict between proponents and critics of GM technology in agriculture that has hindered everything from education, research, regulation and commercialization.

No summit of heads of state would be complete without a bit of glamour and entertainment – and this summit seems to have it in spades. Yesterday saw the launch of the International Year of African Football in which the summit was temporarily converted into a stadium. Delegates were treated to a match between Ethiopia and South Africa (under-15s).

Climate change is also on the agenda and the UK government’s latest scientific export: Nicholas Stern has been given star billing. Later today he will introduce his report on the economics of climate change. Stern will be preceded by the AU’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Mme Rosebud Kurwijila.

Two years of painstaking preparations are over. The world’s gaze has descended on Addis Ababa to see whether Africa’s leaders will deliver on their promises to get real about science and technology. Can Addis live upto expectations? We will know in the next two days.

In the final weeks and months before this meeting, the signs were decidedly mixed. There was little consensus for example on a new Africa-wide research fund; nor on an idea to set up a council of presidents to keep an eye on political commitments on science.

A new 20-year strategy for biotechnology may get the green-light. If this happens, it will signal a much-needed truce in Africa’s very own science-wars – the damaging conflict between proponents and critics of GM technology in agriculture that has hindered everything from education, research, regulation and commercialization.

No summit of heads of state would be complete without a bit of glamour and entertainment – and this summit seems to have it in spades. Yesterday saw the launch of the International Year of African Football in which the summit was temporarily converted into a stadium. Delegates were treated to a match between Ethiopia and South Africa (under-15s).

Climate change is also on the agenda and the UK government’s latest scientific export: Nicholas Stern has been given star billing. Later today he will introduce his report on the economics of climate change. Stern will be preceded by the AU’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Mme Rosebud Kurwijila.