LIONS@FRICA: a partnership to promote innovation

All Africa reports.

The partnership involved high-level representatives from the US Department of State, USAID, the African Development Bank, Microsoft, Nokia, World Bank grant programme infoDev, and the World Economic Forum.

The partnership, named Liberalising Innovation Opportunity Nations (LIONS@FRICA), seeks to mobilise the knowledge, expertise and resources of leading public and private institutions to encourage and enhance Africa's innovation ecosystem and to spur entrepreneurship across the continent.

According to eNews Channel, six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies over the past decade are in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, Internet usage across Africa has grown faster than on any other continent in the world.

LIONS@FRICA seeks to capitalise on this growth and create new opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa by providing a platform designed to inspire and challenge African innovators and entrepreneurs.

This partnership will provide African start-ups with capacity building and training in business development; provide connectivity to global innovation grids; promote access to capital; create opportunities for partnerships; and showcase best practices and successes in African-led innovation solutions.