Niamey, October 5, 2026 — The plenary hall of the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centerin Niamey was packed on Monday, October 5, for the official opening of the 10th African Invention and Innovative Business Fair (SAIIT). In an atmosphere that was both solemn and welcoming, inventors, researchers, entrepreneurs, students, Nigerien authorities, and partners set the tone for an edition that aims to reach a new level: making African innovation a true source of value, jobs, and economic sovereignty.
In the hall, the anticipation is palpable as this continental event dedicated to African creativity officially opens. At the booths, the inventions on display already tell the story of an Africa that is searching, experimenting, and producing its own solutions. Agriculture, health, energy, digital technology, the environment: the solutions presented address very real, everyday challenges.
But behind this profusion of ideas, one question keeps coming up: how to take the invention from prototype to market?
This is the central theme of this 10th edition: "Intellectual Property and Financing for Innovative SMEs." For the Director General of OAPI, Denis L. BOHOUSSOU, the problem is not a lack of ideas, but the ability to transform them into viable and successful businesses. "Between innovation and value creation, there is an essential bridge: financing," he emphasized.
This observation was shared by Niger's Minister of Trade and Industry, Abdoulaye Seydou. He believes Africa must now move beyond the model where its innovations remain confined to laboratories or showrooms. "The central theme of this trade fair directly addresses the Gordian knot of African industrial underdevelopment," he stated, advocating for greater consideration of intellectual property assets in access to financing.
In the same vein, the governor of the Niamey region, Major General Assoumane Abdou Harouna, stressed the need to ensure sustainable funding for innovative SMEs. "How can we ensure sustainable funding for them in our highly competitive environment?" he asked.
This desire to bring intellectual property closer to economic realities is also reflected in a major new feature: the PI Challenge, organized as part of this Niamey edition. Eight higher education institutions competed, focusing on their knowledge of OAPI, industrial property , and its socio-economic impact.
Quizzes, screenings, case studies, and a final pitch: the students had to explain how to transform a young Nigerian woman's invention into a SME . A new, fun, and challenging way to make intellectual property a topic for youth, entrepreneurship, and development.
SAIIT 2026 therefore does not just celebrate African invention and innovation. It poses a crucial question: how can we empower African ideas and inventions to become the African businesses of tomorrow, enable these businesses to become economic champions, and enable these champions to contribute to the industrial transformation of the continent?
