Grace Ashiru
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has unveiled the 2024 edition of the Global Innovation Index, offering a comprehensive analysis of the state of innovation across 133 countries worldwide. The report highlights both progress and challenges at critical stages of the innovation cycle.
Launched in 2007 as a developmental metric, the Global Innovation Index aims to identify and explore measurements and strategies that accurately capture the extent of innovation across regions. The index encompasses various aspects of the innovation cycle, including investment in science and innovation, technological progress, technology adoption, and the socioeconomic impacts of innovation.
The evaluation of innovation across various economies utilized a range of indicators, including Institutions, Human Capital and Research, Infrastructure, Market Sophistication, Business Sophistication, Knowledge and Technology Outputs, and Creative Outputs.
Key Findings
•After experiencing a sharp rise between 2020 and 2022, investments in science and innovation witnessed a significant decline in 2023.
•The adoption of technology accelerated rapidly, with socioeconomic impacts of innovation expected to improve. However, evidence suggested that the development of green technology was progressing at a slower pace.
•Worker productivity showed an increase, although the figures remained below the average levels recorded over the past decade.
•The study also revealed that by 2022, the number of people living in extreme poverty had been reduced to half of what it was in 2005.
Performance of African Nations
African countries were classified into four income-based categories: high, upper middle, lower middle, and low income. Among the low-income nations, Burundi, Rwanda, and Madagascar emerged as the top performers globally, with their innovation efforts surpassing expectations relative to their developmental stage.
Togo, Uganda, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, and Niger are among the countries that fall within this group. In contrast, the upper middle-income category features nations such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Mauritius. Meanwhile, the lower middle-income group includes Tunisia, Kenya, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Angola, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.
With a score of 17.1, Nigeria ranked 12th in Africa and 113th globally. The country’s lowest ratings were in infrastructure (127th), institutions (125th), market sophistication, and knowledge and technology outputs (121st). However, its highest rankings were achieved in human capital and research (78th), creative outputs (87th), and business sophistication (107th).
Below are the top 10 African countries and their respective global rankings.
below;
| Rank | Global Rank | Country | Score |
| 1 | 55 | Mauritius | 30.6 |
| 2 | 69 | South Africa | 28.3 |
| 3 | 87 | Botswana | 23.1 |
| 4 | 90 | Cabo Verde | 22.3 |
| 5 | 92 | Senegal | 22 |
| 6 | 96 | Kenya | 21 |
| 7 | 101 | Ghana | 20 |
| 8 | 102 | Namibia | 20 |
| 9 | 104 | Rwanda | 19.7 |
| 10 | 110 | Madagascar | 17.9 |
Experts suggest a strong positive correlation between the innovation index and economic growth.
For African countries to achieve economic growth and enhance their innovation index, it is essential to prioritize consistent monitoring and increased funding for research and development. Equally important is fostering entrepreneurial research attitudes within academic institutions and creating an environment that empowers and supports business enterprises.
