Africa’s innovation economy is entering its next act, and the world is watching. The continent is shifting from dependence on aid to shaping AI policy frameworks, monetizing its creative industries, and deploying green technologies at scale.
Speaking at the AfriLabs Annual Gathering (AAG 2025) in Nairobi, Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director of AfriLabs, affirmed that Africa is no longer watching the rest of the world from the sidelines.
“The story has shifted,” said Ekeledo. “Africa isn’t playing catch up; it’s defining the future. We’re building models of innovation that are decentralized, inclusive, and impact driven. That’s what this decade has proven.”
Hosted by AfriLabs, the continent’s largest network of over 500 technology and innovation hubs across 53 countries, this year’s Annual Gathering brought together governments, investors, corporates, and creatives under the theme “Africa’s Innovation Future: Policy, Partnerships, and Progress.”
Far from being a distant dream, Africa’s innovation future is a reality waiting to be claimed. That was the resounding message as AfriLabs, in partnership with Timbuktu by UNDP, celebrated its 10th Anniversary Annual Gathering in Nairobi, Kenya.
With participants from more than 70 countries, the event revolved around one bold truth: Africa has everything it needs to rise.
“We have the power to build a continent where every citizen enjoys access to quality education, affordable healthcare, food security, and meaningful work,” Ekeledo said. “But our goal must go beyond survival to shared prosperity.”
Africa’s economy, currently valued at $3.4 trillion, could grow to over $16 trillion by 2050, powered by innovation, continental trade integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and a rapidly advancing digital transformation.
Founded in 2011 with just five hubs in four countries, AfriLabs now connects over 500 innovation hubs across 53 nations. In only a decade, it has supported thousands of startups, created jobs, influenced policy, and helped define Africa’s role in the global digital economy.
“Imagine an Africa where our innovators lead in artificial intelligence and green technology, where our creative industries and digital services employ millions,” Ekeledo said. “That Africa is within reach if we act with unity, strategy, and urgency.”
The gathering underscored that Africa’s transformation will not come from aid but from innovation, entrepreneurship, and intra African collaboration. With the world’s youngest population, Africa’s youth are its greatest advantage, and AfriLabs aims to ensure they have the ecosystems, resources, and opportunities to lead this transformation.
Through its partnership with Timbuktu by UNDP, AfriLabs is also strengthening engagement in policy reform and capital mobilization, ensuring innovation friendly policies and sustainable financing structures that allow African entrepreneurs to scale.
Ekeledo emphasized that building a strong innovation ecosystem is not just about technology, but about trust and collaboration.
“Partnerships are the currency of progress,” she noted. “No single hub, government, or investor can transform Africa alone but together, we can design the future we want.”
The Nairobi event was not merely a celebration of milestones; it was a recommitment to a continental mission.
“Africa holds everything it needs to rise, creativity, courage, and conviction,” said Ekeledo. “The question is not if Africa will lead, but whether we will rise to the moment.”
The gathering closed with a call to action for innovators, governments, and investors across the continent to align around a shared purpose, to turn Africa’s immense potential into tangible prosperity.
Because the future of Africa’s $16 trillion innovation economy is not being written elsewhere. It is being written here by Africans, for Africa, and for the world.