The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2016 has ranked Rwanda 83 out of 128 countries globally surveyed and considered to be one of the best innovating Sub-Saharan Africa economies.

Led by economies such as Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda, and South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa countries this year show their highest scores in Institutions and in Market sophistication. Larger economies, such as Botswana and Namibia, show stronger performances in the general infrastructure and ecological sustainability sub-pillars.

Unfortunately, Nigeria the continent’s biggest economy is placed slightly above countries including Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cameroun, Zambia, Togo and Guinea in terms of innovation.

A number of low-income economies are innovation achievers – according to the Global Innovation Index 2016 of Sub-Saharan Africa economies that outperform their peers for their level of gross domestic product – and performed increasingly well at levels previously reserved for the lower-middle-income group.

The report noted improvements in the Institutions, Business sophistication, and knowledge and technology output pillars have allowed the region as a whole to catch up to Central and Southern Asia in these factors, and even to overtake Northern Africa and Western Asia.

African nations are embracing the knowledge-based economy in order to access the opportunities it offers for poverty reduction, enhanced agricultural productivity, as well as the prospects for industrial competitivity, which could pave the way for sustainable and inclusive development.

Yet the relatively strong performance in innovation in the region is neither uniform across all economies nor is future success guaranteed.

Indeed, economic forecasts predict that Sub-Saharan Africa will face an economic slowdown. As economic slowdown occurs, it will be important for Africa to preserve its current innovation momentum and to continue moving away from relying on oil and commodity revenues.