Building A Thriving Innovation Economy
The AfriLabs Theory of Change
AfriLabs believes that supporting the development of a pan-African infrastructure for indigenous technology innovation and knowledge creation— with hubs serving as centres of excellence—enables Africa to participate in the global knowledge and innovation marketplace, thereby stimulating its economic growth. We believe that innovation comes in all forms from successful startups to talented and experienced content creators, to skilled workforces armed with a mindset for challenging barriers and creating opportunities to empowered communities that have the ability and capacity to identify their challenges and define and develop solutions that work for them. We also believe that innovators can be found everywhere from governments and other public institutions to corporates, civil society and corporates, academic institutions, hubs, community centres, cities, towns and villages. Our purpose at AfriLabs is to form/build/enable/ strengthen a catalyst that creates opportunities for communities across Africa to find and build innovation, and develop channels for deploying this innovation that work for them. This catalyst is the innovation hubs we serve.
This is what rang true when AfriLabs was founded, and what still rings true today. If we do not strengthen the hubs, then the infrastructure on which innovation is built to support local communities to build market relevant solutions is unstable and will not withstand the test of time, political seasons, partner goodwill and ever changing needs of those communities. Where the hubs work as they should, sustainable businesses are built and successful entrepreneurs are nurtured, innovation and entrepreneurial mindsets are adopted across the ecosystem and there is evidence of improved standards of living in local communities where the hubs are based. This evidence, we argue, encourages and supports relevant, enabling policies and other interventions from other stakeholders and ultimately leads to better more inclusive governance and sustainable economic development.
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