Over the years, Apodissi has conducted and delivered research in the green economy, Industry 4.0, vocational and education training, and digital technology uptake, among other areas. The extensive interactions with various private and public organisations across different sectors in Nigeria provide a solid foundation for identifying the challenges encountered by Nigerian institutions and Africa at large.
The EU delegation to Nigeria implemented the inaugural Nigeria-EU Innovation Days to promote collaboration, innovation, research, and development across Nigeria, Africa, and Europe.
The event was organised with a focus on the African Union-European Union’s cooperation on Research and Innovation and the AU-EU Innovation Agenda. The objective was to create a symposium of experts from multiple disciplines who would share their insights to generate impactful outcomes.
Research and innovation are key drivers of development. Collaboration between Nigeria and the EU would facilitate technological advancement and overall growth. While the world rapidly advances toward an optimal digital age, Africa, particularly Nigeria, faces several barriers to sustainable development. Nonetheless, there are numerous opportunities for both private and public institutions to enhance research and innovation for sustainable development.
The question is: Are these stakeholders and institutions aware of these opportunities? Do they understand the economic impact of establishing collaboration between Nigeria and the EU? How can we bring a consortium of experts from Africa and Europe under one roof? Confronted with the challenges of the process and expected outcomes of the event, the EU Delegation to Nigeria assigned Apodissi, a team of experts specialised in executing various research and development projects in collaboration with partners across Europe and Africa to design the objectives and agenda of the Nigeria-EU Innovation Days, titled “Where Ideas Meet Action.”
Apodissi understands the specific needs required for the implementation of the Nigeria-EU Innovation Days, ensuring excellent results. With a clear roadmap outlining expectations and achievements, Apodissi designed the outstanding objectives and agenda for the event.
Objectives
The aim and objectives of the Nigeria-EU Innovation Days were to bring together representatives of the Nigerian, African, and European research and innovation ecosystems in a structured, yet informal setting to:
- Showcase the vibrancy of the Nigeria-EU and Africa-EU cooperation on research & innovation and give visibility to meaningful success stories in this partnership
- Promote innovation uptake in Nigeria among private and public procurers and investors
- Facilitate knowledge sharing around funding and collaboration opportunities
- Facilitate networking for future Nigeria-EU, Africa-EU and cross-Africa collaborations
To accommodate the descriptive objectives, Apodissi structured the agenda into two distinct parts, Day 1 took place on 9th July, and Day 2 on 10th July 2024, respectively.
The Event
It was a remarkable symposium, bringing together more than 60 expert speakers and over 300 participants from various sectors, fields, disciplines, institutions, and countries.
The agenda contained sessions presented and moderated by expert speakers from Europe and Africa. Day one witnessed episodes from the AU-EU innovation, to How to promote African innovation uptake by private and public organisations, through Agritech, eHealth, Industry 4.0, EU-Africa innovation funding opportunities, and Innovation for a sustainable and inclusive society.
On July 9, 2024, the Nigerian-EU Innovation Days commenced at the Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria. It was inaugurated by Samuela Isopi, the Ambassador of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, alongside the Nigerian Minister of Youth and Development Jamila Bio Ibrahim.
The Director General/CE of the National Space Research and Development Agency of Nigeria Matthew O. Adepoju discussed the application of geospatial analysis in examining locations from above. He articulated how collaboration with the EU has significantly simplified the analysis of satellite images and geospatial data. Ms. Aline M Mugisho, Country Convener of CGIAR Nigeria and the Executive Manager of Youth in Agribusiness Partnerships for Delivery at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) strongly emphasised how research and innovation have unequivocally supported the Nigerian industry by creating employment opportunities for youth organisations and young people in agribusiness.
Margherita Trestini, the General Manager of Apodissi, moderated one of the sessions on day one titled “The Role of Business Support Organisations in Spurring Innovation.”
As the National Contact Point in Nigeria for EU-Africa Innovation and Technology programs, she encouraged Nigerian researchers to leverage the Nigeria-EU Innovation Days to form robust partnerships with universities across Nigeria, Africa, and Europe. She added, in preparing a proposal for programs like Horizon Europe, ERASMUS+ programme, or others, it’s essential to clearly outline your goals and objectives and take your time with the application process. The ultimate aim is to create successful proposals and guarantee that research projects have a clear pathway to impact.
On day two, the focus was on the Nigerian Innovation Success Stories, why innovation fail at the proof of the Nigerian market? Nigeria’s Excellence in Creative Industries and Nigerian Funding Opportunities for innovation and digitalisation. 8 Medical startup was showcased for its impact on the Nigerian health industry through emergency outreach. The company has created over 300 jobs, saved more than 7000 lives, and reduced mortality rates. One of the factors for promoting innovation success was commercialisation, which will support and incubate new ideas. Obi Asika, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC identified the Nigerian music industry as a sector that influences information dissemination. Music is a global platform for sharing information, and it helps spread Nigerian culture worldwide he added.
During the session EU-Nigeria Ongoing Successful R&D projects Ms. Margherita shared success stories of Apodissi’s active involvement in R&D projects, particularly highlighting the PrAEctiCe and GreenVETAfrica projects. She also provided insights into Apodissi’s previous project, the DIGILOGIC project, which concluded in December 2023 and had a significant impact on the logistics industry.
Elisabeth Ademola, the Head of Climate Change and Diplomacy at the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), introduced GreenVETAfrica at the Industry 4.0 parallel session. The project is coordinated by AREA, a sister company of Apodissi based in Italy. She explained that GreenVETAfrica is an ERASMUS+ project initiated to promote green waste management in Nigeria and Ghana. The project involves seven partners across Europe and Africa, including Apodissi.
Mr. Adriano Mauro, founder of AREA and co-founder of Apodissi, discussed the application of technology to industries and waste management. He cited Smart Remote Expert Solutions as an example of technology that facilitates machinery maintenance. Collaborative Robots (COBOTS) allow efficiency and quality control for manufacturing MSMEs and the Smart Remote Expert Solution allows for remote assistance and training.
Zainab Suleiman, from the Apodissi team, participated in the poetry workshop and emerged as one of the best poet writers on innovation of the day.
The event was filled with an insatiable thirst to demonstrate expertise, leading to energised discussions that spanned its entirety. From the inaugural day to the last day, stakeholders marvelled at the presentation of innovative and enigmatic ideas, all centered around the theme of innovation. Various organisations like, Interswitch, Andela and Jumia, captivated the audience by showcasing the intricate technical aspects of constructing resilient businesses. It was a monumental and unforgettable moment that left a lasting impact.
In conclusion, the event was a resounding success, filled with impassioned discussions and groundbreaking ideas centered around innovation. Apart from designing the objectives and agenda of the event, the Apodissi team actively participated and made a remarkable impact at the Nigerian-EU Innovation Days. From the PrAEctiCe project to Magherita’s insightful moderation of the parallel session on business support organisations and to its involvement in the GreenVETAfrica project. Undeniably, Apodissi is at the forefront of fostering innovation and collaboration.
The Poem
My Africa, Innovation I call
“For as nigh and high
Thee lies on the horizon
Gnawing within the chaos
Here lies my Africa
In-between the dreams do I stand
Waiting for a twilight at sunset
I strive for nature to see
Thee presumed by hard work and dedication
Behold my Africa
Today I beseech the future through innovation
Why kvetching in the shadows
When the dew is still wet on the grass
Arise dear child, arise
Innovation I call”
