WIPO ranks Nigeria first in unicorn valuation,105th in innovation efficiency

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has ranked Nigeria in the 105th spot of the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025.

In the GII report published on Tuesday, WIPO also ranked Nigeria as the global leader in unicorn valuation.

WIPO is a United Nations agency that supports innovators and creators worldwide by protecting their ideas and helping them bring their innovations to market, thereby improving lives globally.

According to WIPO, Nigeria is one of the 10 sub-Saharan economies to have improved its ranking in innovation efficiency.

“Nigeria (105th) emerges as one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest climbers in 2025. It ranks 1st globally in Unicorn valuation and performs well in Knowledge-intensive employment (35th),” the report said.

“High-tech imports (8th) and Late-stage VC deals (26th) indicating a growing depth in its knowledge economy and entrepreneurial ecosystems.”

A breakdown of the GII showed that Mauritius (53rd) is the highest-ranked country in the region, followed by South Africa (61st), Seychelles (75th), Botswana (87th), and Senegal (89th).

Namibia (91st) and Rwanda secured the 104th position.

WIPO said Mauritius’ position is marked by its venture capital activity, market sophistication, and creative output, while South Africa excels in ICT services import and global brand value.

For the first time, Seychelles, Malawi (125th), Lesotho (132nd), Guinea (133rd), and Congo (137th) appeared in the Global Innovation Index.

The top five global positions are held by Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore.

Followed by the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and China, which debuted in the top 10 for the first time.

The GII 2025 report utilised 80 indicators, ranging from research and development spending, venture capital deals, high-tech exports, and intellectual property filings, to assess the innovation performance of 140 world economies.

The report also listed 17 low-and middle-income economies that performed above expectations for their level of development, with India and Vietnam maintaining their positions as long-standing innovation over-performers.