How ‘frugal innovation’ could aid Africa’s green development

How 'frugal innovation' could aid Africa's green development
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There is potential for positive change in Africa. Africa will need more "frugal innovation" to tackle climate change and spur development, according to entrepreneurs and officials. But there are barriers to solving these problems, such as sparse research funding and government restrictions. Leaders must make the most of opportunities and innovations, the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship was told. Cash-short Africa will need "frugal innovation" based on simple, local solutions to deal with serious and growing problems, from climate change to a surging youth population and a lack of jobs, African entrepreneurs and officials said. The good news is Africans "have frugal reflexes. They have been doing frugal innovation a long time", said Fatima Denton, director of the U.N. University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, based in Ghana. But sparse research funding, government restrictions, a cultural under-appreciation of entrepreneurs and a focus by many governments on large-scale industrialisation as the way ahead are holding back efforts, she and others said. Tackling such barriers could help Africans create millions of new jobs, find ways to deal with climate threats and spur development, they told an online event during the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship . "We’re really […]

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