Innovation and Economic Development in West Africa: The Challenges of Implementing ECOPOST in Nigeria

One of the fundamental objectives of states in the contemporary state-system is the guarantee of economic growth and development, hence, the continuous setting of development agendas to meet recurring challenges. The agendas are usually planned to cater for national needs on immediate, short and long-term basis. The subsisting character of the international system requires that a sharper focus be directed towards the creation of science, technology and innovation agendas as the platform upon which to launch the development efforts of states. However, the capacity to drive science, technology and innovation initiatives is missing in most African states. Since the 1960s, solutions to national development challenges have been hinged on inter-state collaborations through regional integration but unfortunately, most of the emergent organizations face challenges that prevent them from performing at optimal level. Some of the challenges include; lack of political will on the part of member-states, inadequate funding, etc.