Africa in my opinion must not miss this unique opportunity she has today even though a part of me tends to argue that it may be rather late in the day. In a previous piece, I shared some of the giant strides a country like Germany is making to ensure that the quest to innovate does not take a back seat in their economy.
Yes, Africa may actually be behind the rest of the world when it comes to churning out innovative ideas, I must admit that some of her enterprising citizens are innovating despite very little support and difficult economic conditions. I say this because in the course of fulfilling my calling, I have come across cool ideas that have been brought to fruition by Africans.
Here are a few of these innovative ideas; a navigational aid tool for the visually impaired, designed by Khaled Shady, an Egyptian; Mellowcab, a high-tech electric Pedicab manufactured from recycled materials developed by a South African, Neil du Preez; the Cardiopad, a touch screen medical tablet that enables the carrying out of heart examinations such as ECG, developed by Arthur Zang, a Cameroonian and UMT, which stands for Urine Malaria Test, a rapid non-blood diagnostic medical device that can diagnose malaria in less than 25 minutes developed by Dr. Eddy Agbo, a Nigerian.
I could go on and on sharing unique solutions and ideas that have come out of Africa. However, for the purpose of this piece, I’d love to look at the different ways Africans can improve innovation across board.
Challenge The Status Quo
Innovation usually starts with someone who is tired of the old order or simply wants to do something differently. If there is no desire to challenge the status quo then it may be difficult to truly come up with something outstanding.
Yes, sometimes people innovate while having fun but that may not be the case for many Africans because fun comes after basic needs are met. Whatever be the case, we need to support those young minds working hard to challenge the status quo.
Think of Small Projects That Can Help
Some people think that being innovative means engaging in big projects that will make a larger impact. This is not necessarily so. There are many small projects that can help many individuals and businesses become more effective and efficient and this is exactly what innovation is all about. By handling, and being successful at managing smaller innovative projects, you will have the impetus to subsequently go for bigger ones. The maxim, — Finish Reading on the Punch Website
