Webinar: Post-COVID Innovation Readiness in Africa

Friday, 19th June 2020   |   2-3 pm CET (3-4 pm CEST)

LINK TO WEBINAR

Part of the webinar series on Sustainable Development in Africa: Shaping the Future of the Continent, organized by the YESS-community, the Pan-African University, Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES) with the contribution of Future Earth’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus Knowledge-Action-Network and the United Nations University (UNU-EHS)

CONTEXT:

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, African innovators and entrepreneurs had been making tremendous efforts in creating and accelerating projects, all with the view to creating the much-needed products, technologies and business ventures that Africa required. In addition to the existing challenges that African entrepreneurs and innovators faced (e.g. capacity to innovate, the lack of finance and the lack of innovation infrastructure and support from policy makers), the full or partial lockdowns and shrinking market space, which have been resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, have imposed additional challenges. Despite the adverse effects on countries and markets, the current situation also provides a unique opportunity for innovators in Africa to re-think product and technological innovations that will help the continent deal with the pandemic in the short term and, at the same time, propel the continent to greater technological heights. Disruptions in global value chains on which Africa depended for product and technology imports impose a sense of urgency on African innovators to accelerate solutions to bridge the gap created by the market disruptions.

SPEAKER:

Foster Nicholas Ofosu
Africa Development Bank Group

Mr. Foster Ofosu is an economist with over 20 years’ experience in researching, teaching and practicing International Business and Innovation Management. He is an innovation and technology driver with entrepreneurial instincts and training, supporting creative initiatives inside and outside organizations. Foster has an insatiable passion for developing the capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa especially among the youth. He is currently a Knowledge, Innovation and Capacity Development Specialist at the African Development Bank.