Africa’s struggle to compete in the global technology economy is not a consequence of a shortage of talent or ideas. Rather, it stems from a persistent failure to translate research into commercially viable products, according to Dr. Muhammed Dahiru, chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT).
Speaking at the 2nd International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation in Abuja, Dr. Dahiru argued that the continent’s technological future will depend less on the volume of research it produces and more on its ability to build the policy, institutional and commercial frameworks needed to move innovation from laboratories to the marketplace.
Addressing a panel session titled “Policy Frameworks for Closing Africa’s Technology Gap,” he said Africa stood at a pivotal moment in its development. The continent, he noted, possesses many of the ingredients required for technological advancement — a young and growing population, abundant natural resources and a deep reservoir of talent. Yet those advantages have not translated into a corresponding presence in the global innovation ecosystem.
“Africa’s technological marginalization remains significant,” Dr. Dahiru said. “As of today, the continent accounts for only 2 percent of global patent applications.”
The statistic, he suggested, reflects a broader structural challenge. Across much of the continent, universities and research institutions continue to generate knowledge and scientific discoveries, but weak commercialization pathways have limited their economic impact. The result is a persistent gap between innovation and industrial application.
Dr. Dahiru rejected the notion that African researchers lack the capacity to compete globally. The challenge, he argued, lies in creating the conditions that allow research outcomes to become marketable technologies, scalable enterprises and productive industries.
“The issue is not the absence of innovation,” he said. “The issue is building the mechanisms that enable innovation to reach the market.”
That process, he argued, requires more than government funding or policy declarations. It depends on the development of innovation ecosystems that connect researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, industry and public institutions around shared objectives.
Responding to questions on technology transfer policy, Dr. Dahiru also urged Nigerians to take a more active role in advancing the country’s technological capabilities, warning against an overreliance on government intervention.
“We should not wait for government to do everything,” he said. “Whatever opportunity you have, you must play your part rather than merely complain. Everyone has a role to play in helping Nigeria attain the technological capability it needs to succeed.”
Central to that effort, he said, is the deliberate integration of innovation and entrepreneurship. Scientific breakthroughs alone are insufficient if they cannot be developed into products, businesses and industries capable of generating economic value.
“Developing such ecosystems is essential for transferring technology from the lab to the market,” Dr. Dahiru said. “Innovation alone is not enough; it must be linked to entrepreneurship. Without that connection, technology transfer cannot happen.”
He called for closer collaboration among universities, businesses, government agencies, venture capital firms and the broader private sector, arguing that technological progress flourishes when institutions work within coordinated ecosystems focused on solving common challenges.
Such ecosystems, he said, can be developed in specific locations and replicated across countries and regions, creating the foundations for broader industrial transformation.
For Africa, the challenge is increasingly urgent. As emerging technologies reshape global production, trade and economic power, countries that fail to convert research into innovation risk falling further behind. The continent’s opportunity, Dr. Dahiru suggested, lies not merely in producing knowledge but in building the institutions and partnerships capable of transforming that knowledge into prosperity.
“The talent is already here,” he said. “The task now is to create the systems that allow it to thrive.”
