Mapping new approaches to innovation policy for stronger transformative outcomes in Africa

The authors argue that traditional linear models of innovation policy in Africa often fail to reduce poverty and inequality because they focus narrowly on R&D without strong implementation or governance. They propose shifting toward Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP), which targets societal challenges like climate change, and Smart Specialization Strategies (S3), which prioritize innovation based on a territory's specific resources. Case studies of Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire reveal critical evidence gaps, particularly regarding the informal sector and sub-national data, which hinder the effective application of these frameworks.

• Current innovation policies in Africa frequently rely on a linear model that assumes R&D and science and technology investments automatically lead to economic gains and general welfare, but evidence indicates that inequality, poverty, and social exclusion continue to rise in some areas despite economic growth.
• Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) differs from traditional R&D approaches by focusing on mobilizing innovation to solve societal challenges, including unemployment, inequality, poverty, and climate change, while reorienting social and technical systems.
• Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) enable geographic regions to identify priority research and innovation domains based on their specific human capital, financial resources, and infrastructure to create unique competitive advantages.
• In Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, the large size of the informal sector makes a significant amount of innovative and economic potential statistically invisible, and there is a lack of sub-national data to identify regional challenges.
• To improve innovation outcomes, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire should utilize the African Innovation Outlook and African Observatory of STI to build data collection capabilities and customize funding instruments to address needs such as food security, health security, and access to electricity and internet.

APA

Daniels, C., & Dosso, M. (2021). Mapping new approaches to innovation policy for stronger transformative outcomes in Africa. African Center for Economic Transformation. https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/articles/mapping-new-approaches-to-innovation-policy-for-stronger-transformative-outcomes-in-africa/

Chicago

Daniels, Chux, and Mafini Dosso. Mapping new approaches to innovation policy for stronger transformative outcomes in Africa. African Center for Economic Transformation, 2021. https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/articles/mapping-new-approaches-to-innovation-policy-for-stronger-transformative-outcomes-in-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Daniels |first1=Chux |last2=Dosso |first2=Mafini |title=Mapping new approaches to innovation policy for stronger transformative outcomes in Africa |publisher=African Center for Economic Transformation |date=4 June 2021 |url=https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/articles/mapping-new-approaches-to-innovation-policy-for-stronger-transformative-outcomes-in-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daniels2021mapping, author = {Daniels, Chux and Dosso, Mafini}, title = {{Mapping new approaches to innovation policy for stronger transformative outcomes in Africa}}, institution = {African Center for Economic Transformation}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/articles/mapping-new-approaches-to-innovation-policy-for-stronger-transformative-outcomes-in-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }