$50 Million AU Initiative Seeks to Strengthen Evidence-Based Policymaking Across Africa

The African Union Commission (AUC), backed by $50 million from the World Bank, is developing a continent-wide think tank platform to enhance policy research capacity. Last week, a competitive call for proposals was announced as the Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP) was unveiled at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. 

In partnership with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the African Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the project will support research in six development areas. Areas requiring imminent policy intervention, like governance, climate change, trade, food security, digitalization, and human capital, have been identified as priorities.

Selected research consortia, made up of three to five African think tanks, will receive grants of up to $10 million each to conduct cross-border, policy-relevant research over the next two and a half years. The deadline for submissions is September 24, with grants expected to be disbursed by December 2025.

“This is a strategic investment in Africa’s ability to lead its policy discourse using data, expertise, and evidence rooted in our realities,” said Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, who formally launched the call. “Those who generate credible knowledge shape policy, institutions, and the future of the continent.”

Funded by a World Bank IDA grant, the platform is part of broader efforts to align Africa’s development goals with evidence-based decision-making. Samer Al-Samarrai, Lead Economist at the World Bank, said the ATTP aligns closely with the Bank’s Africa strategy, calling it a “bold step toward strengthening the link between research and policymaking.”

The initiative comes amid growing calls for African-led solutions to complex challenges, from economic recovery and job creation to climate resilience and digital transformation. ACBF Director of Programs Abdrahmane Dicko lauded the launch a “triumph of partnership” and urged think tanks to “put forward bold ideas with cross-border impact.”

Despite AU member states pledging to spend 1% of their GDP on research and development back in 2006, the continent’s funding remains a smidge over 0.4%. Even South Africa, the continent’s biggest spender on research and innovation as a share of GDP, has reached only 0.85% at its peak spending.

“This is more than a project,” said Faten Aggad, Deputy Chief of Staff to the AUC Deputy Chairperson. “It’s a structural response to elevate African-owned evidence as the foundation of coherent, accountable governance.”