Africa doesn’t have innovation problem – Hamzat

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has claimed that Africa's true technological hurdle isn't a shortage of innovative ideas, but the struggle to scale those concepts to impact millions. At the fifth Texcellence summit in Lagos, Hamzat pushed for better public-private partnerships to expand tech development across the continent. He argued that governments must provide dependable infrastructure, stable regulations, and ample funding to help tech businesses flourish and better serve citizens.

Hamzat maintained, "Africa does not have an innovation problem. I will repeat that. Africa does not have an innovation problem. We have a scaling problem. And it goes across all sectors." He used the success story of CWG Plc, a Nigerian tech firm that started in Lagos in 1992, to illustrate how businesses can thrive in a supportive setting. The company grew from a six-employee computer warehouse to a publicly traded entity on the Nigerian Exchange, with subsidiaries in Ghana and Uganda and clients throughout Africa.

Lagos has set up a shared fibre-optic infrastructure model to reduce wasteful duplication of telecommunications assets, with over 3,000 kilometres of fibre already installed and plans for a 6,000-kilometre network backed by an extra $22 million investment. Over seven million Lagos residents have registered in the city's residents' identity system, while smart cameras along major roadways aid traffic monitoring and enforcement.

The state introduced an electronic physical planning permit system in April, enabling applicants to apply and track permits online. This system has reduced the number of steps needed to obtain permits from 29 to seven, without raising statutory fees. Additionally, the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council has backed 18 researchers and more than 75 startups, and the government is proposing legislation to set aside a specific portion of its annual budget for research, development, and innovation.

CWG Plc's founder and Texcellence host, Austin Okere, said the company's founding was driven by a desire to tackle poor customer service and unreliable technology delivery. Okere said the company also established the CWG Academy to train professionals for its own staff, clients, and competitors. The annual Texcellence event brings together technology firms, governments, customers, and other stakeholders to discuss how Africa can strengthen its digital infrastructure and speed up technological advancement.