Pete - you've written a lot on Africa. Have you seen good examples of governments creating an environment for a thriving domestic sector?
Ah, now this is a really tricky one, because you're talking about imposing from the outside something that has to be entirely internally-driven. I think there are some things that do really depend on external conditions: availability of markets and finance, for example. There are some macro-level things that development professionals are already doing too - improving the quality of education, power supply, social safety nets, etc, which give people the confidence and resources to create businesses.
Innovation is innate and I don't think there's a way to 'promote' it per se - except by allowing and nurturing the kind of environment in which entrepreneurship (which in my mind is kind of the synonymous with innovation in the broadest sense) can flourish.
As I say, there are holistic considerations around healthcare, infrastructure, governance etc that are already part of the development discussion.
Great point Conilh! We are also looming into this but differently. Perhaps we can follow up offline?
Great question Zahid. In my opinion, promotion can be done in multiple ways. The LIONS@FRICA partnership uses its elevated platform to get the word out about the great talent on the continent, not only to the tech community, but also to influence policymakers and those that have the power to create an enabling environment for these entrepreneurs (lawmakers, etc.). Business Fights Poverty, Microsoft, DEMO AFRICA and other partners are valuable and key in getting that message across.
Additionally, the State Department, by virtue of its global reach, has a platform that not only showcases what Africans can do for Africa (on the whole, or to respond to local/regional issues), but how the world views what Africans are doing for Africa in the technology/innovation space. Changing global perception can be quite powerful as a catalyst for the entire ecosystem across the continent, and can grease the wheels for great momemtum.
Really good point, Bahiyah. I am certainly inspired by the stories of African innovators and entrepreneurs. Not only are they central to Africa's growth, but also to reframing the way in which people outside the Continent see Africa in all it's diversity. If people wanted to hear about more of these individuals' stories, where should they look?
Teyei's earlier point of "African governments also need to work on creating policies and systems that are friendly and support innovations in the regions" is particularly true. I think that governmental support is crucial, in terms of infrastructure policy and also policies that support formal enterprise. I've seen that most innovations from the informal sector in many markets comes as a result of restrictive and prohibitive government policies.
Thanks Zahid. I think there are some places that have begun to work on this. Rwanda always comes to mind because they have done a lot to break down barriers for entrepreneurs. Even Cote d'Ivoire, which has had so many troubles recently, has been doing the same. But it's important not to entirely equate reforms with entrepreneurship. Just because a country moves up the Doing Business rankings doesn't automatically give it a thriving private sector.
There are some places that are really trying to drive innovative business in a way that for me doesn't tally - for example Kenya's Konza City. I understand the notion of an innovation hub, and I see that the infrastructure is useful, but I'm not sure there are really that many competitive advantages offered by what they're building there.
Perhaps the most interesting is Nigeria. The country has its advantages and disadvantages for innovation, but the government is explicitly trying to support the creative sector. That for me is very forward-thinking, as no one but Nigerians will be able to make Nollywood films and Nigerian music - which in the ugly parlance of the modern media is "content". As Africa goes online, content is going to be valuable. That's really promoting innovation in a clever way.
Hi Pauline - can you tell us more about the criteria and process for applying to the Innovation Prize for Africa?
Agree. The ideas and the entrepreneurs are ready and willing. However, the support structures are not always strong. This is where the development organizations can assist.
The point has already been made that it's unhelpful to speak of Africa as a country; nevertheless there are factors which apply to all of Africa, with one or two exceptions: That Africa is prodigiously well resourced is beyond argument. The most useful question therefore is to what do we attribute Africa's apparent inability to hold on to its resources, and use them for its own development?
It also seems to me unhelpful to pretend that Africa is "leap frogging" industrialised nations of the West. I would love to hear of any innovation that is not dependant on what is happening in the West. This is important because the pretence of perceived advance will definitely have the effect of blinding us to knowledge gaps that desperately need to be addressed.
I think one challenge highlighted often is that there are no many opportunities given to Africans to develop an idea into prototype and then into a business. Yes, the Ihubs are now providing a space for Young People to innovate, but this is only limited to a small Segment of the Population. Sectors such as manufacturing, Food processing, farming etc do not have the same kind of Support these in IT area are getting. What about the concept of a maker space in different African countries?
Thus, I think it is important to acknowledge the that there are many barriers FOR African to innovate and then start by removing These barriers and creating opportunities...
Peter - I think you got it spot on in many ways when you talk about the enabling environment. Instituting appropriate bankrupcy policies, for examples, helps in enabling would-be entrepreneurs with great ideas to take the leap in what is often high-risk environments.
Thanks Zahid! The criteria for IPA include marketability, scalability, socio-economic Impact, orginality and Technical aspect
Ok let's move on to question 3 - How can we encourage the private and public sector to work together to fund innovation by Africans?
These were Chosen based on the fact that we are looking for Innovation that can get to the market, but at the same time, they have to be addressing real challenges. So, we ask questions like who is this Innovation for? Brief, we bet on game changing Innovation by Africans
Connie, beyond rewarding and acknowledging the best African Innovator, the Innovation Prize for Africa was also created to Showcase African creativity! As an African myself, I know Africans are creative and innovative because this is the way of of life! You have to innovate Solutions everyday because things do not work as they should! However, the rest of the world does not know this so with IPA we make sure that we work with the media to Position the winners and Show to the world what Africans can do if they have Access to what they Need!
From our experience, partnerships between the public and private sector can be extremely effective to address a particular issue, especially when there's a recognition that no one particular entity can reach an ecosystem goal on its own. But I'd like to tweak the question a little and rather than focus on "fund", perhaps we can ask, "how can we encourage the private and public sector to work together to catalyze innovation by Africans?" I say "catalyze" only because access to finance is one avenue towards realizing innovation, but there is also a need for mentorship, bootcamps, and other possible incentives.
I think a lot of valid points have already been made. I would perhaps add the fact that it is necessary to create a conducive, enabling environment for innovation to develop. This requires a long-term vision for innovation, which must aim at creating the whole ecosystem of innovation (i.e. both the soft and hard infrastructure), from public investment and innovative financial models, to research & development, education and training, human capital development, innovative thinking and business models. And, of course, a regulatory framework (e.g. intellectual property laws and patents) which protects innovators without hindering creativity.
Find common ground. Understand one another motivations. Look for how resources can compliment each other with the shared goals in mind. Move forward. Obviously oversimplified, but there is a serious need for more coordination of support.
In a sense, this is happening but at a slow paste! What is missing is to invest in these at an early stage of Innovation! We are looking at Partners who might be interested in working with us to build capacity of such Innovation so that they can get to the Level where they can attract big Investments! Please get in touch if interested!