Empowering the Future: Innovators in Africa

DW (2025)

Film Review

https://www.dw.com/en/empowering-the-future-innovators-in-africa/video-71750657

Africa has both the youngest and fastest growing population on earth. This video profiles some of the continent’s most prominent innovators. Although Greenland appears the same size as Africa in most two dimensional maps, the latter is actually 14 times larger –  bigger than the US, China, India, Japan and Europe combined.

With a population of 1.5 billion, Africa consists of 54 countries and is home to 2,000 languages. Half its population was born after 2000, with Senegal, Rwanda and Nigeria experiencing the most rapid population growth. Sadly, however, Africa is experiencing a serious brain drain, comparable to the mass exodus that occurred with the slave trade. Most African university graduates plan to emigrate because most their countries have a shortage of professional and academic jobs.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, at 220 million. Its capitol Lagos has 16 million people. Known as the Venice of Africa, it’s home to the Makoko community of floating homes. Sixty percent of its residents are poor and work in the informal economy.

The film highlights even key African innovators building Africa’s economies:

• Jack Oyugi Kendu Bay (Kenya) – microbiologist who discovered how to increase the protein content of the invasive weed water hyacinth by fermenting it, producing a far cheaper protein source for livestock than imported soy protein.
• Peninah Wanja Nairorobi (Kenya) – founder (2018) of DigiCow, a digitalized information network for small farmers raising milk cows. Part of the “Silicon Savannah.”
• Darlington Akogo (Kenya) – with the support of foreign investors, created the first stand alone AI system (Mino Health AI Labs) for radiology. Using anonymized patient data, he trained his AI system to detect breast and other cancers, pneumonia. Owing to worldwide shortage of radiologists, Akogo hopes to make health care cheaper and more accessible to the African content.
• Kunle Aleyemi (Nigeria) – international renowned architect who designed dwellings for Makoko residents that float on pontoons instead of standing on stilts to make them less susceptible to storms.
• Gilbert Debra (Ghana) – founded international call center companies providing customer support for international corporations. Presently outpacing nearly all Indian call centers. Pays globally competitive salary of 190 Euros a month (Ghanaian doctors earn 650 euros a month).
• Cynthia Dauquah (Ghana)* – laboratory technician working identify native plants that can be used to synthesize antibiotics.
• Ben Lokeris Koriang (Uganda) – founder (2017) of Gogo Ebikes**

*40% of Ghana’s university graduates are women.

**Electricity in Uganda and Kenya is 90% renewable, from hydropower, geothermal, wind and solar sources. Because electricity is cheaper to supply than gasoline, the Ugandan government subsidizes electric bikes as a public transport strategy. Because they’re 50% cheaper to operate than a gasoline powered vehicle, purchasers also qualify for microloans to purchase them. Gogo Bikes manufactures the batteries, as well as the ebikes and scooters, operates it charging stations. Gogo bikes retains ownership of the battery and assumes responsibility for recycling it.

https://www.dw.com/en/empowering-the-future-innovators-in-africa/video-71750657