The World Bank has committed a significant investment of $50 million to strengthen African think tanks through the newly launched Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP), a transformative initiative aimed at boosting the continent’s capacity for effective policy research and evidence-based policymaking. This landmark project is implemented by the African Union Commission (AUC) in partnership with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), marking a major step forward in empowering African research institutions to shape the continent’s development agenda.
The ATTP is designed as a five-year initiative funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). Its core objective is to establish a sustainable platform that elevates the role of African think tanks and research institutions in producing policy-relevant, data-driven analysis on critical cross-border priority issues. By doing so, the project aims to close the gap between scientific research and policymaking on the continent, ensuring that African leaders have access to high-quality, locally grounded evidence for formulating solutions that address Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities.
The initiative supports consortia of African think tanks through grants of approximately $10 million each, awarded to between three and five groupings of think tanks. These consortia will work collaboratively on multi-year projects aligned with the aspirations of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and regional integration priorities. The thematic focus areas include economic transformation and governance, climate change, regional trade, food security, human capital development, and digitalization — all critical sectors for Africa’s sustainable growth and development.
Speaking at the launch, Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, described the platform as a “gamechanger” for Africa’s policy landscape. She underscored that ATTP aligns with the African Union’s broader efforts to institutionalize a culture of performance, results, and accountability through integrated planning, monitoring, and evaluation systems. The platform is envisioned to strengthen the interface between policy formulation and African-led research, enabling governments and regional bodies to design reforms that accelerate inclusive economic growth and regional integration while ensuring poverty reduction is measurable and impactful.
World Bank representatives emphasized that this $50 million grant is not merely a financial contribution but a strategic investment in Africa’s knowledge ecosystem sovereignty. Samer Al-Samarrai, Lead Economist at the World Bank, highlighted the importance of regionally coordinated, evidence-based policies grounded in the continent’s realities to tackle the persistent problems of poverty, inequality, climate vulnerability, and the urgent need for job creation for Africa’s rapidly growing youth population. This approach advocates for research institutions to provide homegrown, actionable policy recommendations tailored to local contexts, thus reinforcing African ownership of development planning and accountability.
The African Capacity Building Foundation’s Director of Programs and Impact, Abdrahmane Dicko, noted that this project marks the first significant investment in African research and development institutions since 2017. The ATTP is seen as a bold effort to build and sustain the backbone of Africa’s policy excellence by fostering partnerships between think tanks and policymakers and expanding the continent’s research capabilities for long-term impact. By enhancing the quality of scientific data and policy advice, these institutions will play a pivotal role in addressing Africa’s regional challenges through informed decision-making and regional cooperation.
In addition to funding research activities, the platform also focuses on building networks and deepening relationships between the scientific community and policymakers. By facilitating cooperation across borders and promoting African-led research, ATTP aims to create a coherent continental approach to addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges through innovative policies shaped by rigorous evidence. This includes resource mobilization strategies to attract additional funding from stakeholders to sustain the continental platform’s operations beyond the initial World Bank support.
Overall, the $50 million World Bank commitment to the Africa Think Tank Platform represents a strategic, catalytic investment that elevates African think tanks as key architects of the continent’s future development policies. It supports the vision of Agenda 2063 by enhancing indigenous expertise, data rigor, and African-led policymaking, thereby fostering sustainable development, regional integration, and inclusive growth across Africa.
This initiative signals a renewed confidence in Africa’s intellectual capital, offering a platform where African researchers can lead policy discussions and provide evidence-based solutions that directly respond to the continent’s evolving needs and aspirations. It thus marks a pivotal moment in Africa’s journey toward self-sustained development and regional cohesion.