Don advocates culture of innovation for sustainable growth

Professor Olalekan Akinbo, the Supervisor at the African Union Development Agency’s (AUDA-NEPAD) Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation, has emphasized the need for Nigeria to embrace a culture of innovation to accelerate the country’s economic and technological progress.

According to Akinbo, innovation is key to unlocking the country’s potential and achieving sustainable development. It is the backbone of modern economies, as it helps businesses, governments and societies improve their competitiveness, productivity and quality of life.

Akinbo stated that by fostering a culture of innovation, Nigeria can not only enhance its competitiveness in the global market but also create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and job creation.

“It helps with factors such as job creation and competition within society and the economy, as many companies which do not innovate tend to fall behind. Innovation levels are also a major factor in terms of where economic growth is headed,” he added.

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Akinbo emphasized the need for government development agendas to be innovation-based, promoting productivity and professionalism. While acknowledging positive innovation trends in some African countries, particularly in agriculture, he underscored the necessity for additional efforts to ensure food sufficiency and surplus for export.

“We are in a global village and every country, every continent relates in the area of trade, therefore Nigeria and Africa need to be competitive; I strongly support the ‘Agenda 2063’, which is that the Africa we want by 2063 is food-sufficient,” he said.