Nigeria has emerged as the world leader in unicorn valuation, even as it ranked 105th out of nearly 140 economies in the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025.
The report highlighted Nigeria as one of the fastest climbers this year, driven by growing depth in high-tech imports and venture capital funding, despite not breaking into the top 100. A unicorn is a start-up company valued at over $1 billion, privately-owned and not yet listed on the stock exchange.
According to WIPO, Sub-Saharan Africa continues to show resilience in innovation, with 10 economies improving their positions in 2025. Mauritius (53rd) leads the region, followed by South Africa (61st), Seychelles (75th), Botswana (87th), and Senegal (89th). Rwanda (104th) narrowly edged Nigeria to remain the region’s longest-standing innovation over-performer.
The report noted strong performances across the continent: Namibia (91st) made the region’s biggest leap, climbing 11 places and leading globally in education spending, while Senegal rose three places with strengths in unicorn valuation and microfinance access.
Globally, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Republic of Korea, and Singapore topped the index, with China breaking into the top 10 for the first time.
The GII 2025 assessed nearly 140 economies using 80 indicators, ranging from research and development spending to venture capital deals, high-tech exports, and intellectual property filings. WIPO described the index as a benchmark for policymakers and business leaders seeking to strengthen innovation ecosystems.
Since its inception in 2007, the GII has shaped global innovation measurement and informed policy responses across low-, middle-, and high-income economies.
In the 2025 edition, 17 developing economies outperformed expectations for their development levels, with India and Vietnam maintaining their positions as long-standing innovation over-performers.
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