AfriLabs Gathering Ends in Nairobi; Ghana’s DIPPER Lab Joins Climate-Tech Panel

The 10th AfriLabs Annual Gathering ended today, at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya, after two days of discussions on innovation, climate resilience, and policy across the continent.

The Distributed IoT-Platforms, Privacy and Edge-Intelligence Research (DIPPER Lab) was represented at the event by Prof. Eric Tutu Tchao, Scientific Director, and Dr. Enoch Bessah, Research Lead for Climate Change and Ecosystem Services.

The DIPPER team participated as panelists on the second day under the Green & Blue Economy track.

Their session, themed “Blue Horizons, Bold Actions: Accelerating Africa’s Ocean and Climate Tech Revolution”, focused on how Africa can scale up innovation in ocean and climate technologies.

The discussion highlighted the need for bold, coordinated efforts to unlock the continent’s potential in sustainable fisheries, marine innovation, and climate tech. It also emphasized the role of innovators and researchers in developing renewable energy solutions, ecosystem services, and circular economy models.

Speaking on the need for structured support systems to move innovations from lab to market, The Scientific Director of DIPPER Lab, Prof. Eric Tutu Tchao noted, “We need to establish special purpose vehicles through innovation hubs, so talented graduates already have a pipeline to take their solutions to market and scale” 

“But this only works if the right policies are in place to support the hubs and empower our young innovators. That way, those leading the solutions can truly benefit.”

Dr. Enoch Bessah, the Research Lead for Climate Change and Ecosystem Services, stressed that research efforts must be driven by real, existing problems within communities, not theoretical challenges.

“If there’s no real problem, there won’t be any research

“But when there is, and people are willing to pay for a solution, research can translate into business,” he said.

 He called for innovation approaches that are grounded in local realities.

“Let’s incorporate indigenous knowledge and localize our tech solutions. When people are part of the co-creation process, they will adopt and sustain the solutions — even without external funding.” Dr.Bessah added.

 Other panelists included David Ogiga, Co-Founder of Kenya-based Sote Hub, an innovation and incubation ecosystem.

 The session formed part of a broader theme: “Africa’s Innovation Future: Policy, Partnerships & Progress”, which guided the two-day gathering aimed at shaping Africa’s innovation agenda for the next decade.