Timbuktoo roundtable at World Bank Spring Meetings pushes for co-investment in Africa’s innovation ecosystem
Date: 2026-04-19
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
African
ministers and development partners have reaffirmed their commitment to scaling
the continent’s innovation ecosystem through co-investment and coordinated
action at a timbuktoo roundtable held on the sidelines of the World Bank Group
Spring Meetings.
The
engagement brought together policymakers, institutional partners, and
stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening collaboration and
mobilising resources to support innovation-driven growth across Africa.
Participants
highlighted the importance of aligning public and private sector efforts to
build sustainable innovation ecosystems capable of supporting startups from
early-stage development to scale.
The
discussions underscored a shared recognition that long-term investment,
partnership-driven approaches, and coordinated policy frameworks are critical
to unlocking Africa’s innovation potential.
Organisers
noted that the roundtable reflects growing momentum behind the timbuktoo
initiative as a platform for driving inclusive innovation, fostering
entrepreneurship, and accelerating economic transformation across the
continent.
