Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, ranks 105th out of 139 countries in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII), a position that starkly contrasts with its potential and influence.
Mohammed Bello, Executive Director and CEO of the African Centre for Innovative Research and Development (AFRI-CIRD), says this should be a wake-up call.
“Innovation has become the defining currency of global competitiveness and inclusive development in the 21st century,” Bello explained. “With strategic intent, institutional discipline, and stakeholder alignment, Nigeria can transition from fragmentation to transformation.”
He argued that innovation is not a luxury for Nigeria but a developmental necessity.
His blueprint outlines seven pillars, including setting up a National Innovation Council, increasing R&D investment, reforming STEM education, expanding broadband and renewable energy, strengthening intellectual property, engaging the diaspora, and leading innovation harmonisation across ECOWAS.
Nigeria’s innovation lag and potential
The Global Innovation Index, published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), benchmarks economies across seven pillars of innovation.
Nigeria’s low ranking reflects weak governance, poor R&D funding, infrastructure gaps, and limited knowledge outputs.
Yet the country’s latent potential is significant: 60% of its population is under 25, its tech startup ecosystem is vibrant, and its creative industries are globally influential.
“This ranking signals more than underperformance,” Bello noted. “It shows systemic weaknesses we must urgently fix.”
Drawing on lessons from India, Morocco, and Rwanda, Bello highlighted how countries of similar or smaller economies outperformed expectations by making strategic investments in human capital, digital governance, and renewable energy.
Case studies offer actionable lessons
India, ranked 38th, built one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems through targeted tax incentives, innovation labs, and public-private partnerships.
Morocco leveraged renewable energy and vocational reforms to drive green industrialisation. Rwanda, though smaller, embraced digital-first governance, rolling out e-services that boosted transparency and efficiency.
“These countries demonstrate that innovation success is not about economic size but about strategic governance, institutional reform, and targeted investment,” Bello stressed. He urged Nigeria to adopt similar models by creating a centralised innovation council and digitising government processes.
He also warned that without rapid action, Nigeria risks remaining a consumer rather than a producer in the global innovation value chain.
Building an inclusive innovation economy
Bello’s strategy calls for raising R&D expenditure to 1% of GDP by 2030, up from the current 0.2%.
He also proposed fiscal incentives to attract venture capital, alongside tax breaks for angel investors.
“Countries like Israel and Singapore have shown how public capital can de-risk private investment,” he said.
Education reforms are also central to the blueprint. Bello wants coding, robotics, and design thinking introduced into schools, and postgraduate research in AI, biotechnology, and renewable energy funded through targeted scholarships.
He further argued that Nigeria’s infrastructure crisis must be tackled with urgency, particularly broadband expansion and renewable energy. Without these, he said:
“Nigeria will remain on the periphery of the global innovation landscape.”
Diaspora engagement and regional leadership
Bello emphasised the untapped potential of the Nigerian diaspora, which includes technologists in Silicon Valley, researchers in Europe, and entrepreneurs across the globe.
He recommended creating a Diaspora Innovation Network to link them with local startups, universities, and government.
He also urged Nigeria to take a leadership role within ECOWAS by harmonising intellectual property laws, building cross-border digital infrastructure, and creating a West African Innovation Corridor that connects Lagos, Accra, Abidjan, and Dakar.
“This leadership role would not only elevate Nigeria’s influence,” Bello explained, “but also embed innovation as a cornerstone of economic integration and shared prosperity.”
The moment to act is now
Bello concluded that Nigeria’s fragmented innovation system can only be transformed with political will, disciplined institutions, and unified stakeholder commitment.
“Innovation is no longer a luxury or a peripheral ambition; it is Nigeria’s developmental imperative, the moment to act decisively is now.”
