Tag: CIVIL SOCIETY

Before we discuss about an innovation society we need to understand what is innovation and why is it important to have an innovation society. Human society exists to help human beings flourish. Our ideas of human flourishing may differ but every one of us can agree that society exist to enable human being live fulfilling lives. Modern right theorists would argue that human flourishing in this context means enabling human beings fulfill their individual projects. The benchmarks of a good society would be one that provides support for citizens to live a life of dignity, freedom and justice. In the classical natural law philosophy dating from Aristotle, the idea of the community is committed to fostering a virtuous life for its members. Aristotle believed that the purpose of a community is to promote a virtuous life, which is a life of excellence.

Solving problems that militate against human happiness and dignity is the defining task of human communities, be they cities or countries. The social contract theorists, approaching the issue from divergent definitions of the state of nature, agree that the purpose of government is the promotion of prosperity, freedom and dignity of human beings who live in communities. Government exists to make sure the pursuit of happiness and dignity is not undermined by problems. In the hunter and gatherer society, when humans were still in the state of nature, threats to prosperity can easily be overcome by exercise of physical strength.

Innovation is not merely a matter of academic pastime. Innovation is the secret of survival on planet earth. The fruit of innovation range from the many products that enable us to contain the scourge of disease and prolong the longevity and quality of life, to the breakthrough in physical sciences that enable us to counter the threat of climate change. Innovation is also evident in the social and political sectors. Many of the less corrupt countries in the Nordic region are less corrupt because they have developed social and political institutions that better manage the reality of human nature and pathologies of social relationship. Their accountability mechanisms reflect higher intelligence and creative application of economic and social insights. Whilst other resources rich countries in Africa are suffering from resources curse, these countries are investing oil resources in building better human capital and stronger society.

So, innovation matters because it is the secret of sustainable development. Sooner or later all resources will run out. Sooner or later societies that cannot innovate will run out solution and they would be left helpless in the face of daunting challenges. Today, we are witnessing a major divide between the axis of poverty and the axis of wealth. The society of the future may be divided between those can innovate and those that cannot.

What makes a society an innovation society? What features accounts for the ability of some societies to innovate and others cannot? I identify what I call the hardware and software of innovation- technological and social. Things like the political regimes and economic systems we can call hardware. Innovation will be more likely in societies that promote entrepreneurship by reward private initiatives. Such a society will recognize trade and private property. It will be difficult to have sustainable innovation in societies where people are not rewarded for efforts. The great political economist, Joseph Schumpeter thought that it is a free market society that can promote entrepreneurship which he believed was the sources of innovation. He called it ‘creative destruction’. He associated monopolies with the capacity to undertake long term research that will lead to innovation. Although the latter point is contestable as monopolies can manipulate price and block competition; thereby destroying incentive to innovate, his view that entrepreneurship is key to innovation is unassailable. But the general idea of such society must also protect in some degrees intellectual property.We can all debate whether the present regime of intellectual property protection does not value profit over life. The fight over generic drugs suggests that perhaps the regime of intellectual property protection may have gone too far in protecting enterprise at the detriment of human life and community sustainable development. But what is never debatable is that protection for intellectual work is fundamental to sustaining investment of human capital in solving social problems.

What is the software of innovation? The American sociologist, Robert Putnam viewed civil society from the point of view of social capital and social trust. These are part of the software of innovation. Innovation is a collaborative enterprise. Innovators build on the work of other researchers and thinkers. They solve problems in a community defined by mutual trust and respect. If the social capital or the trust quotient in a society is low, it may be difficult to have the degree of social cooperation required for sustainable innovation. Robert Putnam considered the deficiencies of a low trust society in his classic, Bowling Alone. These social capitals include volunteerism, membership in association and unions and religious beliefs and practices. Drawing from Alexis Tocqueville’s magisterial Democracy in America, Putnam argued for more civic engagement.

Another important software for innovation is ethical universalism, the notion that human beings share common moral qualities that mandate non-discriminatory treatment. As a matter of fact, innovative societies are characterized by ethical universalism and, to a large extent, the principle of individualism. Such societies treat people without regard to their particularities of birth or status. Such societies contrast from honorific societies that treat people differently according to their social or cultural status. Max Weber, the theorist of modernity argued that modern development is only possible in a ‘bureaucratic’ society, a society where rules and laws replace traditional norms and privileges. This is the underlying structure of liberal and human rights-oriented societies.

An innovation obviously thrives in knowledge. The Nobel Laureate in Economics, Kenneth Arrow argues the importance of learning and doing. People learn by doing. Therefore, innovation society also has innovative industries. This is also why innovative societies are usually post-industrial societies. Innovation comes from doing and big corporation provide the learning environment for innovation. Two important points arise from this insight. First, without good education it is difficult to have innovation. Quality education is software for innovation. When Japan began its transition from agrarian to industrial society it had more 80-90% literacy level. It also has public norms that valued quality education. This means that it must be a meritocracy which encourages learning and doing. If you measure in terms of the quality of higher institute of learning and the number of patents posted by schools and institutes in these innovative societies, you will appreciate the high quality of education in these societies. This contrasts with our society that despises knowledge and has no social reward for excellence. A society that is not merit-based, that introduce privilege and prerogatives to undercut merit is no where close to an innovative society

It is difficult to remember when there were no civil societies. That will tell you how old and venerable civil societies have been. Legend has it that the oldest civil society was the Birch Society dedicated to the preservation of some bird species. Today, civil society straddles different segments of social life. Some civil society organizations are located in the business sector while others are in the social sector. The concept of civil society is so problematic that some persons hold their breath when the National Rifle Association (NRA) in the USA or the Organized Petroleum Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce are listed as civil society organizations. Just as we have civil societies that promote positive changes in the world there are those that promote negative results. So, even as the concept of civil society is controversial, the realities of civil society are also controversial.

Nigerian civil society has had a respectable profile in the struggle for a democratic and progressive society in Nigeria. It has been a champion of human rights and accountable governance in Nigeria. Although civil society in Nigeria has played key role to usher Nigeria into sustainable democracy and development, it still has a lot of work to do to promote the ideals of the public good. The knowledge and skill gap in the civil society movement in Nigeria is too huge that it does not encourage social innovation. Again, the Nigerian civil society needs to reinvent itself to reinvent society. The stagnating norm of ethical particularism and its consequent regime of prerogative foster a corrupt and uncompetitive society. Such a society cannot be innovating. Civil society groups in Nigeria should recognize that they have responsibility to foster the cultural reform necessary to build a sustainable foundation for social innovation.

• Dr. Amadi, former chairman and chief executive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) delivered this at the Reverend David Ugolor Inaugural Public Lecture Series.