Higher Education Innovation Summit Calls for Academia, Government, and Private Sector Collaboration in Igniting Innovation in Africa
By Ms. Maureen Obare
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) with iHUB organized a two-day summit on higher education innovation in Nairobi from 5-6 June 2024. Participants from across Africa converged at the Jahazi Building (CcHUB/iHUB headquarters) in Lavington. Among the prominent speakers who helped the participants delve into the challenges and opportunities of universities as catalysts of innovation were: Olaf Seidel, Head of Projects, Make-IT in Africa/GIZ, who spoke on higher education innovation framework of support; Prof. Robert Gateru Vice-Chancellor, Riara University who spoke on Innovators Start-ups-In-Residence Program; Prof. Stephen Kiama, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi and Chairperson of the KNEIL Network, who spoke on Entrepreneurial Universities Network of Nairobi. To emphasize the role of government in advancing innovation ecosystems in higher education, senior government representatives gave keynote addresses to the participants. Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Principal Secretary, of the State Department for Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Education, Kenya addressed the participants how the government has supported innovation through funding an enabling policies (message addressed through a representative). Dr. Bosun Tijani, Hon. Minister, Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy, Nigeria, in a recorded video message, talked about rethinking higher education innovation’s role in Africa’s emerging innovation ecosystem. Hon. Mdestus Amutse, Deputy Minister, ICT, Namibia, in his keynote speech, addressed the role of advancing research-based innovations through higher education innovations in Africa.
Over 300 participants interacted with panellists on a range of issues such as rethinking higher education innovation’s role in Africa’s emerging innovation ecosystem, venture capital for research-based innovations, and impacting and investing in higher education innovation across Africa. There were also networking opportunities. One panel conversation on impacting and investing in higher education innovation featured major stakeholders in promoting innovation: Monica Blagescu, Head of Programmes, British Council (Kenya); Olaf Seidel, Head of Projects, Make-It-in-Africa, GIZ; Agnes Tsuma, Country Technical Lead, Kenya and Rwanda RISA Fund.
Student innovators who had developed innovative digital applications also showcased their start-ups. The start-ups were in diverse sectors such as agriculture, water/sanitation, and healthcare, among others. The young entrepreneurs made moving presentations describing the problem they were addressing, the solution they had offered, and their prospects.
The interactive summit also had breakout workshops organized around two clusters: industry academic collaboration facilitated by Jude Adejuwon, Practice Lead, HEI Innovation CcHUB, and innovation program operationalization in higher education-based Hubs facilitated by Mungai Muturi, Incubation Manager HEI Innovation, iHUB/CcHUB. The panellists pointed out the need to rethink existing models of higher education approaches to investing in innovation, emphasizing collaboration among various stakeholders. Ambassador Bitange Ndemo, Kenyan Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium & EU, in a recorded video, spoke on reshaping narratives on academia’s contribution to Africa’s prosperity.
The summit concluded with a panel of distinguished professors from selected African universities on implementing innovation programs in higher education-based Hubs. These were: Prof, Atsunuwa, University of Lagos; Prof. Mary Kinoti, University of Nairobi; Prof. Oyedunni Arulogun, University of Ibada; and Dr. Leonard Imeme, University of Namibia.
The Proposed Hekima University which primes itself as a centre of excellence in innovation and social entrepreneurship through the 4IR has potential allies in CcHUB/iHUB and all the key stakeholders who took part in this first higher education innovation Summit in Africa.
