In every country that committed to develop, innovation is not the factor to take on lightly. Innovation is foundation on the fight against unemployment, poverty, poor social services, corruption, ineffectiveness and inefficiency in every aspects of private sectors and public sectors, therefore it is the driving force of gradual advancement that Africa must be wise enough embrace.
Innovation is always interchanged with invention; however, innovation is a distinct element. It involves the creation of completely new products or services and/or modifications of existing goods and services. For example the evolution of modern means of transport that replace the ancient ones, mostly animals as a means of transport and the innovation in information and communication technology that has made globalisation possible are quite examples that are worth consideration.
Developing countries encounter low interest on innovation in almost all aspects compared to developed countries, minimum government support interms of funds to sponsor technical staffs and innovative related materials, demotivated education ministry’s staffs especially teachers, outdated regulations and adoption of irrelevant provisions in educational policy, among other factors results to absolute widening of gaps in agriculture and livestock keeping, manufacturing industries, fishing, medicine, politics, legal, transportation, tourism, mining, finance and commerce
Imagine the moment when Tanzania beat Luxembourg in innovation category or when Nigeria surpass Canada in innovation!, it’s appears to be impossible. What about South Africa? Can South Africa compete with Netherlands or Sweden in innovation category? If the answer is yes, the conditions that made it possible must be adopted by the rest of the African countries.
To avoid bias either by design or by default, ignoring Northern Africa achievements in innovation would means stereotype. Egypt, the mother of ancient civilization, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria have successfully occupied convincing level of innovation in engineering and architecture, oil extraction methods among other things. What is it that made it possible for these Northern countries to breakthrough?.
The only trend in sub-Saharan countries is the manufacturing of electric vehicles by University students. The media are so proud to announce such achievement, with little attention from the general public. You can not convince people to believe in manufactured electric vehicles in countries that suffer from constant power cut-offs or in countries where electricity is way more expensive than oil. How can we convince citizens to believe that their children manufacture durable batteries that can hold power long enough while their professors fail to come up with solutions to energy and power situations despite getting chances in governmental agencies, departments and ministries? What a shame!
In the case of South African achievements not only in innovation category but also in economics skyrocket, Gold or diamond found at Kimberley has little contribution to it. Northern African countries’ achievements in the innovation category are not oil extraction miracles. There is a secret, foreigners,Â
South African economy is in the hands of white minority citizens. No shame in identifying them as foreign since they were never there during the 7th century, no doubt at all. Boers were the heart of South African advancement in military, agriculture, mining, transport, engineering and architecture.
In the Northern part, they solely identify themselves as African, so let’s say they are Africans. Where are they originated from the first place?, where we can get the entire picture of ancient history and ancestry heritage of those who first identify themselves as Muslims and second as Arabs, those who only say they are Africans for the TV and political purposes. Who cares what they are if they are not even confident to stand for it. The only thing that made them achieve magnificent innovation is because they are Africans by location but they are something else.
What factors discourage innovation in Africa and other developing countries?
Political instabilities in developing countries kill every chance to make innovation possible. Innovation requires a high level of harmony and stability that guarantees the safety not only of nationals but also of the products of innovation and foreigners who probably introduce new skills and knowledge necessary to encourage innovation.
 Peace encourages people to discover alternative strategies to improve life and advance their standards.Â
Developing countries failed to attain convincing level of peace, to make safety predictable, imagine coup de’ tat in west Africa ( Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bisau and Niger ) and recent terror in Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, civil war, tribal war, and terrorist attacks such as recent case of Boko haram in Kenya.
– lack of sound government policies and legal frameworks. Effectiveness planning, monitoring and supervision is not enough if the policy is irrelevant, vogue and unreasonable. Clear objectives and definite elaborated policy is the key to increase capabilities of nationals to develop and nurture innovation, then it will attract foreigners to invest their material resources, technical support and whatever it takes to make innovation possible.
Developing countries struggle with vague and incomplete policies, policies that do not prioritise or target the profound setback or lack of practical solutions.
I finalise by apologising if some of my statements sound harsh or racist. That is what burned my thumb tip to type. All I want to convey is that it is our Africa. However, the advancement or development of Africa requires multiple actors from different places. Let’s learn how Europe made it.
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