AFRICA HAS INNOVATION, BUT STRUGGLES TO SCALE, HAMZAT SAYS

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has called on governments and the private sector to bridge Africa’s technology scaling gap through sustained investment in digital infrastructure, consistent policies, local innovation and institutional reforms.

Hamzat made the call on Tuesday at the fifth edition of TeXcellence, organised by CWG Plc at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, under the theme, “Accelerating Africa’s Digital Future: Lack of Direction and a Sustained Force.”

He stressed that Africa’s major technology challenge was no longer a lack of innovation but the inability to transform successful ideas into sustainable systems capable of delivering widespread economic and social benefits.

According to him, African governments must eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and create an enabling environment for technology-driven solutions to grow, reach millions of people and improve their quality of life.

“Africa does not have an innovation problem. We have a scaling problem. And scale is a systems question. The distance between a good idea and a system that works for millions — that is where government lives,” Hamzat said.

He noted that entrepreneurs, researchers and communities across the continent were already developing solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing challenges.

However, he said the continent needed the right infrastructure, policies, financing and partnerships to move beyond isolated success stories and make innovations accessible to a wider population.

“Government must therefore do more than support innovation; it must build the systems that allow African ideas to grow, endure and deliver meaningful impact at scale,” he added.

Speaking on the topic, “The Enabling State: What Government Must Become for Technology to Scale,” the deputy governor said governments must move beyond their traditional regulatory roles and become active enablers of innovation.

He identified shared digital infrastructure, predictable policies, support for research and development, and strong institutions as essential requirements for sustaining technological progress beyond individual administrations.

Hamzat also highlighted Lagos State’s investments in digital infrastructure, revealing that approximately 3,000 kilometres of fibre ducts and networks had been laid, with an additional $22 million invested towards developing a unified 6,000-kilometre network.

He disclosed that more than 6.4 million residents had been enrolled in the state’s resident identity system, while digital reforms had improved the delivery of public services, including physical planning permits and mortgage consent processing.

The deputy governor further said the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) had supported 80 researchers and more than 75 startups, with approximately ₦1 billion available in grants for innovators.

He added that the state was considering an innovation law that would allocate a fixed proportion of its annual budget to research, development and risk capital, ensuring consistent support for local technology businesses.

Hamzat also called for stronger collaboration between government and industry, urging both sides to make measurable commitments towards accelerating digital transformation across the continent.

In his welcome address, CWG Plc Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adewale Adeyipo, described TeXcellence as a platform that had evolved over five years into a strategic forum for shaping Africa’s digital future.

Adeyipo urged African governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to prioritise digital sovereignty, local artificial intelligence infrastructure and the sustainable deployment of technology.

He challenged stakeholders to move beyond experimenting with emerging technologies and focus on developing and deploying sustainable solutions that would strengthen Africa’s control over its technological future.

According to him, the continent must take deliberate steps to build its digital capacity rather than depend exclusively on innovations and infrastructure developed elsewhere.

He stressed the need for investments in local computing infrastructure, wider access to affordable digital devices and improved digital literacy, while ensuring that artificial intelligence solutions progress beyond pilot projects into reliable and commercially viable systems.

Adeyipo added that Africa’s digital transformation must be driven by clear direction, sustained investment and measurable outcomes rather than the pursuit of speed alone.