Authors : Bruce M. K. Mwiya

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4wbb3xe4

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/2ttmb6jc

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr207

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Zambia’s pursuit of innovation-led economic development is fundamentally hindered by a severely underdeveloped National Innovation System (NIS). This study highlights a significant systemic gap characterised by chronic underinvestment in Research and Development (R&D), weak human capital development, and minimal knowledge commercialisation capacity. Comparative analysis shows that Zambia’s R&D expenditure ranges from 0.03% to 0.28% of GDP, well below the African average of 0.42% and far beneath benchmarks set by advanced economies (2–3.5%). This results in a funding shortfall that is 10–12 times smaller than in advanced economies, and researcher density is 20 times lower than in the European Union (EU) and United States (USA). To address this structural inertia, we recommend a systemic reconfiguration based on global best practices. The key proposal is the creation of a National Research & Innovation Fund managed by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the National Technology Business Centre (NTBC), with a sustained annual allocation of at least 1% of GDP over the next decade from government ministries and agencies. This would also include incentivising the private sector and leveraging occasional external foreign research funding as the country tackles various developmental challenges. Crucially, institutional reforms should include adopting South Africa’s NRF and NIPMO model and legislating Bayh-Dole–style rights (1980) to enable universities to own and license publicly funded research outputs, thereby fostering a resilient, research-industry integrated ecosystem

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