The biggest network of technology and innovation hubs on the African continent, AfriLabs, has opened its 10th Annual Gathering at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, a decade of building bridges and powering up innovation on the continent.
The three-day conference, starting October 13 and running to 15, was attended by more than 2,000 representatives from more than 50 countries. The theme of the year, “Africa’s Innovation Future: Policy, Partnerships and Progress,” sets the stage for discussion on how Africa will create room for increased innovation with greater collaboration and better policy.
In a keynote speech to the opening ceremony, AfriLabs Executive Director Anna Ekeledo remarked that the event is a sign of how far Africa’s innovators have come and where they’re headed next.
“This milestone edition is a reflection of the growth of the innovation ecosystem of the continent. The next level is about strengthening partnerships and pushing policies that put Africa at the forefront of global innovation,” she observed.
A Decade of Growth
Since its first edition ten years ago, AfriLabs Annual Gathering has emerged as one of the most significant spaces for innovators, policy makers, investors, and ecosystem builders. Year after year, it has unveiled fresh lessons and partnerships that are continuing to rewrite Africa’s digital story.
Last year’s event in Cape Town, South Africa, had a similar audience with the title “Uniting Innovation.” The Kigali, Rwanda, 2023 event was centered around driving Africa’s digital economy, and the 2021 Nigeria event, which was presided over by then–Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, deepened the bond between governments and innovation centers.
Partnerships for the Future
This year’s event also includes the Timbuktoo program, a joint initiative between AfriLabs and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The program has been described as a “ten-year moonshot vision” in an effort to create a sustainable ecosystem for African innovators through mobilizing investment, mentorship of startup companies, and retaining African expertise on the continent.
Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation, led by CEO and Executive Secretary Natalie Jabangwe, is already plodding along its first Cape Town hub, targeting creative entrepreneurs and mobilizing US$1 billion catalytic finance for young business leaders.
Policy and Collaboration
One of the features of the Nairobi event is the Ministerial Roundtable, where government officials, development partners, and leaders of innovation are converging to shape how policy can embrace innovation.
They are all joined by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the current Guardian of the Timbuktoo project, and Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director for Africa.
They are convening talks about how innovation might, at all, help African countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Building the Innovation Agenda
AfriLabs has framed this year’s summit around three primary pillars policy, partnerships, and progress to structure conversation and determine the level to which the ecosystem has progressed in the last decade.
Also representing are AfriLabs Advisory Board Chair Rebecca Enonchong and Chief Operating Officer Ajibola Odukoya, who will lead sessions in funding, data, and expanding the ecosystem.
Nairobi at the Center
Having Nairobi as the host city is symbolic. Nairobi, known as Africa’s “Silicon Savannah,” is a hub of startups and innovation. Having the event hosted at the United Nations Office is important in bringing to light the need to put Africa’s innovators on the world’s map.
Looking Ahead
As AfriLabs celebrates its decade milestone, its goals remain set on network growth, policy influence, and support of innovations that affect youth, women, and other excluded groups.
The organization will also solidify its interests in new technologies like artificial intelligence, reaping them as inclusive development tools.
With over 500 hubs in 53 countries, AfriLabs remains the pillar of Africa’s innovation story connecting people, ideas, and opportunities remaking the continent’s destiny.
