Inclusive Innovation: A Panacea to Developmental Challenges for Africa

Abstract

Challenges hampering development in Africa abound. Constraints were imposed by the hostile international economic and political order within which Africa’s economies operate; there are domestic weaknesses derived from socio-economic and political structures and neo-liberal structural adjustment policies. Many people are still living in extreme poverty, income inequality within and among many countries have been rising; at the same time, unsustainable consumption and production patterns have resulted in huge economic and social costs and may endanger life on the continent. Gender inequality, climate change, environmental destruction, food insecurity, spread of HIV/AIDS, bad governance, poor access to basic services, such as education, health and sanitation among others are some of the critical development challenges rampant in Africa. Surmounting these development challenges will require an inclusive innovation as a panacea to deliver on the legitimate aspiration towards further economic and social progress, requiring growth and employment, and at the same time strengthening environmental protection in Africa. Inclusive innovation as a panacea to development challenges for Africa forms the nucleus of this paper. This paper is predominantly based on information derived from secondary sources. It recommends that the role of the African heads of state and government should be to facilitate, support, incentivize and leverage the strengths of all stakeholders in order to create sustainable inclusive innovative solutions with significant outreach at maximum efficiency with the least possible burden on the public resources.

Keywords: inclusive, innovation, inclusive innovation, panacea, development.