•Dr. Yemi Kale
The Afreximbank, the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat have launched the African Research and Innovation Hub (ARIH).
The ARIH hub launched during the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers aims to promote and commercialise African research and innovation.
Dr. Yemi Kale, Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist & MD, Research, emphasised that if Africa merely doubles its R&D spending to 1% of GDP by 2030, we could unlock an estimated $60–70 billion annually in additional value across agriculture, digital technology, and manufacturing.
“This would boost productivity, reduce import dependence, and expand Africa’s share of global trade,” he said.
He, therefore, enjoined member countries to take advantage of the hub to boost their investment in research to power the continent’s industrial transformation by accelerating the development of homegrown innovations that reinforce autonomy, sustainability, and technological sovereignty.