Ekiti Ecosystem Development
Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa collaborates with the Ekiti State Knowledge Zone (EKZ) to strengthen and enhance the innovation ecosystem in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Overview
The Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa project has been actively engaged in strengthening and enhancing the innovation ecosystem in Ekiti State, Nigeria, since 2021.
Through its Place-Based Innovation (PBI) intervention, Global Alliance Africa aims to build innovation capability, foster collaboration and facilitate new opportunities for funding and investment that drive positive change through innovation in Ekiti State, delivering against the FCDO’s Africa Technology and Innovation Partnership Programme (ATIP) ambition in stimulating inclusive economic growth through stronger local innovation ecosystems in Africa.
Building on the experience from the UK, Global Alliance Africa’s PBI intervention focuses on delivering self-sustaining economic growth by working in partnership with local businesses, government agencies and experts from emerging innovation regions or hubs in Africa, such as Nigeria’s Ekiti State. The co-created Innovation Audit and Innovation Action Plan created the springboard for PBI activities in Ekiti State, with an Innovation Advisory Group established in 2021 to ensure that the input and expertise of local stakeholders across academia, industry and public authorities was captured across programme activities.
The flexibility and adaptability to refine and pilot activities and to align with local needs is very different than the typical model of working with preordained programmes. This kind of support is important for testing ideas, [and now] we see the tech ecosystem that is building up and the green shoots of innovative ideas [emerging].
Akin Oyebode, Honourable Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Ekiti State
Impact and collaboration
In partnership with the recently established Ekiti State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Digital Economy (MISDE), Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa also supported with the launch of the first Ekiti State Innovation Summit bringing together regional, national and global stakeholders, as well as developing the Innovation Ecosystem Map and creating the Ekiti Investment Guide, to encourage ongoing collaboration and investment in the State.
Innovate UK is a worthy supporter of the work that [the Ministry] is doing in the ecosystem. Even before we had deployed our resources, [Innovate UK] had gone ahead to deliver programmes that were really encouraging and showed the promise in the ecosystem.
Seun Fakuade, Honorable Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Digital Economy, Ekiti State
Stimulating industry opportunities
2023 also saw the delivery of the Global Aquaculture Knowledge Exchange and Showcase which led to the publication of two Knowledge Briefs which distilled key insights and learning from the event to support further development of Ekiti’s aquaculture industry. The showcase also created the opportunity for a collaborative project between MISDE, Ekiti State University and FlyBox – a UK based SME – to explore the opportunity for adapting insect-based protein technologies for animal and fish feed locally.
The team has also been active behind the scenes, facilitating introductions and setting up potential collaboration and funding opportunities for local stakeholders. These activities have directly helped contribute to two of the five new innovation hubs that have been established in Ekiti State since the Global Alliance Africa project started its activities in 2021, as well as supporting the development of the ecosystem more broadly.
Programmes like this galvanise the local community, especially local innovators… and help in convincing people to make that investment of their time, their resources and, most importantly, their decision to localise themselves in a jurisdiction.
Akin Oyebode, Honourable Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Ekiti State
About Global Alliance Africa
Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa project is a six-year project funded by UK International Development through GCRF and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
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Related programme
Global Alliance Africa
This Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa 6-year (2019-2025) project funded by UK International Development aims to build new and stronger UK-African partnerships to maximise the creation of inclusive market access, funding and investment opportunities through innovation knowledge transfer between the UK, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.