Harnessing Innovation and Diaspora Power: A Collaborative Path to Sustainable Development in Africa

• The rise of innovation hubs and their impact on local economies
• Inspiring success stories that showcase their potential
• Key challenges faced by these hubs, including infrastructure and talent retention
• Strategies to leverage the skills, networks, and resources of Africans abroad to bridge these gaps

By showcasing real-life examples of impactful Diaspora’s engagement and offering practical recommendations for future collaboration, this talk aims to inspire a unified approach towards fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem in Africa. This is consistent with the vision of DARN aimed at promoting a clear link between African research, viable solutions and sustainable development.

The presenter is LEWIS, Olanrewaju Olurotimi, Ph.D., a dedicated, resourceful, and innovative academic, researcher (Information Systems), and Information Technology Management Professional with a PhD (Science) in Information Systems from Rhodes University, South Africa, and an MSc in Business Information Technology (with Commendation)  from Northumbria University, Newcastle. He is currently a Lecturer and Programme Leader of the Information Technology Management for Business, Graduate Apprenticeship at the School of Science and Engineering of the University of Dundee, Scotland. ‘Lanre is an Information Systems researcher with research interests in ICT4HE, educational technology, e-learning and personalized ICTs for teaching and learning.  He focuses on equipping teachers with knowledge, tools, skills, and training to grow their capacity and experience in equipping and preparing their students for relevance in the future of work. He combines over 13 years of lecturing experience and over a decade of experience in the IT industry, with a focus on student achievement, a passion for scholarly work, presenting and publishing at conferences and maintaining thought leadership in reviewed journals.  He is the recipient of several scholarships and grants. Dr Olanrewaju Lewis is also the Lead Consultant of The Mentor’s Lounge, and the Founder of the Mentor’s Lounge University, a platform dedicated to democratising  success. He has vast experience of working with multi-cultural teams and diverse professional background.