Abstract
Innovation is central to driving economic development, social inclusion, and sustainable growth in Africa. Yet, prevailing management and innovation theories often derive from Western contexts, imposing assumptions that may not fully align with the African socio-economic, cultural, and institutional realities (Boso et al., 2013; Adegbite, 2020). Open innovation, as conceptualised by Chesbrough (2003), emphasises external knowledge sourcing, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing to accelerate innovation outcomes. While widely adopted globally, its application in African contexts has received limited attention, particularly regarding localised ecosystems, indigenous knowledge, and culturally embedded practices.
Dominant paradigms in management research, particularly on open innovation, have been largely shaped by Western contexts (Chesbrough, 2003; West & Bogers, 2014). African business ecosystems, however, are characterised by distinct socio-cultural, institutional, and infrastructural dynamics, including informal networks, resource constraints, and diverse entrepreneurial practices (Acs et al., 2017; Murimbika et al., 2021). This paper explores how open innovation can be adapted as a management construct to advance sustainable and inclusive innovation in Africa. Drawing on empirical evidence from sustainability-focused innovation in the European fashion industry, the study adapts these insights to African contexts, particularly the Nigerian fashion ecosystem.
Nigeria’s fashion industry, anchored in cities such as Lagos and Abuja is a prime example that illustrates both the promise and constraints of African innovation ecosystems. Designers, textile entrepreneurs, digital retailers, and informal artisans collaborate across fragmented value chains, often without stable financing, infrastructure, or formalised R&D systems (Adeleye, 2019; Nwankwo, 2021). At the same time, indigenous aesthetics, circular practices, and community networks underpin resilient innovation. Accordingly, this paper asks: How can open innovation be theoretically reconfigured and empirically adapted to advance inclusive and sustainable innovation in African contexts?
Drawing on qualitative evidence from sustainability innovation in the fashion industry in Europe and adapting these insights to African contexts, this paper highlights the structural and systemic challenges that impede the operationalisation of open innovation in low-resource, high-potential markets. These insights are contextualised within African innovation ecosystems, with particular attention to the Nigerian fashion industry, which exemplifies a dynamic yet fragmented entrepreneurial environment characterised by informal supply chains, high consumer demand for sustainable products, and emergent digital platforms facilitating circular economy models (Adegbite, 2019; Ojo, 2021).