Global Metrics Overlook Africa’s Innovations

In the last twenty years, African governments and development agencies have acknowledged the vital role of science, technology, and innovation as essential engines of progress. These factors improve productivity, reduce transaction costs, open up new business avenues, and promote social inclusion. Moreover, they assist communities in tackling major issues such as climate change and persistent poverty.

By 2020, at least 25 African countries had developed national policy frameworks for science, technology, and innovation, a significant increase from approximately 8 in 2010.

Assessing science, technology, and innovation is crucial, as it helps policymakers gauge the effectiveness of their investments. Inadequate metrics can lead to the misallocation of limited resources, obstructing progress toward Africa’s developmental goals.

However, are African governments, development partners, and scholars concentrating on the correct metrics?

As a team of researchers dedicated to studying science, technology, and innovation systems in South Africa, Nigeria, and other African countries, we aimed to answer this question.

Our recent research uncovered that the indicators used to evaluate innovation in Africa are largely borrowed from high-income nations and may not be suitable.

To effectively tackle Africa’s pressing issues—such as youth unemployment, food insecurity, digital exclusion, and vulnerability to climate change—African governments must reconsider their measurement strategies.

The Measurement Gap

While indicators like research and development investment, patent figures, and the number of researchers are useful, they only provide a partial view. They are often reflective of a formal, technology-driven, research-intensive model of innovation typical in wealthier countries.

In comparison, many African economies are defined by informal businesses, grassroots creativity, and practical solutions born out of necessity.

Our extensive review of 42 peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2024 shows that research on measuring science, technology, and innovation in Africa is indeed growing, though still fragmented and narrow in focus.

Most studies focus on South Africa and Nigeria, leaving a significant portion of the continent unexplored. Even within these two countries, the focus has leaned more towards adopting international benchmarks rather than fostering localized alternatives.

Using bibliographic databases and keywords like “innovation” and “Africa,” we tracked where related research is being conducted based on the geographical locations of authors citing the 42 studies in our sample. Only nations with a minimum of five papers were included, with Nigeria and South Africa being the only qualifying African nations.

Uncounted Innovations

Many valuable innovations in Africa occur “under the radar” in farms, marketplaces, workshops, and communities, making them challenging to quantify.

For example, a mobile money agent in rural Kenya may devise a secure method to transfer funds without a formal banking system, or a mechanic in Nigeria may modify used engines to run on locally-sourced fuel mixes. These innovative efforts rarely appear in traditional datasets.

This problem goes beyond visibility; it stems from a conceptual misalignment. A large portion of Africa’s innovation is incremental, necessity-driven, and centered around practical application rather than formal R&D or structured science. Current metrics are not equipped to capture this reality.

The Importance of Measurement

One might ask: why is measuring innovation critical for Africa? The answer lies in policymaking. What we measure influences what we fund, support, and ultimately prioritize. If African policymakers depend on metrics that ignore the informal sector or disregard indigenous knowledge, they may miss significant economic and social activities.

Moreover, global development initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union STI Strategy for Africa demand enhanced evidence for tracking progress. Without data that accurately reflects its realities, Africa cannot assess how science, technology, and innovation contribute to food security, health access, or climate resilience.

Towards a New Agenda

So, where do we start when it comes to measuring what truly matters in Africa?

Our research outlines six critical areas for action:

1. Align measurements with the Sustainable Development Goals: Metrics should reflect how innovation tackles real challenges like clean water, renewable energy, or maternal health, rather than merely counting patents.
2. Improve data quality and governance: Numerous African countries lack reliable data collection systems and need institutional capacity along with inclusive survey methods.
3. Recognize diverse forms of innovation: Innovation in Africa manifests in various forms, ranging from grassroots ingenuity to digital entrepreneurship.
4. Focus on the informal sector: This sector is crucial for innovation, employing most Africans. The International Labour Organization projects that 83% of all jobs in Africa will be in the informal economy by 2024.

Innovative initiatives in South Africa and Nigeria are already adapting innovation surveys to encompass informal enterprises.

For instance, South Africa’s Centre for Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators conducted the first comprehensive survey of innovation within the informal sector in 2018, followed by a similar effort in Nigeria.

1. Monitor digitalization: Africa’s digital transformation, marked by developments like mobile banking and e-health, is substantial but often inadequately measured.
2. Integrate environmental sustainability: Green innovation has largely been overlooked. As climate impacts intensify, understanding how innovation can enhance resilience is as important as promoting growth.

Learning from the Global South

Other regions have made strides in innovation metrics. For example, Latin America created the Bogota Manual in the 1990s to customize innovation measurement to local contexts. Similarly, emerging economies in Asia are making considerable investments in new metrics. Africa can benefit from these experiences.

Our analysis indicates that most highly cited research on African science, technology, and innovation is conducted by authors from outside the continent. It is crucial for Africa to nurture a critical mass of local scholars who can develop theories and evidence relevant to its own innovation needs.

A Call to Action

With the African Continental Free Trade Area, rapid urbanization, and a burgeoning youth population, the continent stands on the verge of transformation. However, this transformation must be guided by data that truly reflects its realities.

To achieve this, Africa must create, evaluate, and institutionalize new metrics. This will require investments in local research, fortifying institutions, and encouraging collaboration across countries and sectors.

Africa must define and measure innovation in its own terms. Only then can its data inform policies that empower individuals, create jobs, and enhance resilience.

Abiodun Egbetokun, Senior Lecturer, Business Management, De Montfort University; David Adeyeye, Deputy Director, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM); Glenda Kruss, Executive Head of the Centre for Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators, Human Sciences Research Council; Il-haam Petersen, Chief Research Specialist, Human Sciences Research Council; Maruf Sanni, Deputy Director, Research, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM).

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