AU Launches $50m Initiative To Support Researchers

In a bid to create a sustainable ecosystem and advance the Agenda 2063 vision of “The Africa We Want”, the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and AUDA-NEPAD, has voted $50 million to support researchers in Nigeria.

To this end, the groups are inviting strong consortia proposals for its initiative under the Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP).

The “transformative initiative”, generously funded with $50 million from the World Bank, is anticipated to elevate African think tanks to become architects of “cross-border development policy”, as stated in a press release signed by Fatou Diouf, Head of Communications and Influencing at ACBF.

The think tanks are expected to submit proposals as part of 3-5 consortia, pursuing “policy-relevant research” across the six thematic areas of the African Union. Successful applicants will receive $10 million in multi-year funding for two and a half years to support programmes aligned with the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the regional integration of priorities.

Speaking at the grand launch of ATTP on Thursday, Samer Al-Samarrai, Lead Economist at the World Bank, remarked that Africa possesses significant potential, yet simultaneously “faces persistent challenges.”

According to Al-Samarrai, this underscores the necessity for “these opportunities and constraints to call for policies that are evidence-based, regionally coordinated, and grounded in the Continent’s realities.”

African think tanks are central to this effort, she added. “They produce homegrown, evidence-based analyses that reflect local contexts and priorities, providing actionable recommendations that are practical and relevant.”

As a continent, Africa experiences a considerable research deficit. According to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for 2024, Africa contributes just under one per cent to both African and global research.

This gap in research findings, often attributed to inexperienced scholars, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient funding, has indirectly contributed to the emergence of many of Africa’s challenges, rendering them a pervasive issue.

There is a pressing need to engage African think tanks in conducting credible research that is pertinent to policy change and the continent’s growth, states Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC.

“ATTP will support,” Chairperson Haddadi continued, “by enabling high-quality policy research that is responsive to continental priorities and attuned to national contexts.”

ATTP is expected to contribute to the establishment of an integrated knowledge ecosystem that enhances the capacity of member states, AU organs, and regional economic communities to design, monitor, and evaluate transformative interventions.

In her closing remarks, Ms Faten Aggad, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Cabinet of the Deputy Chairperson, stated, “ATTP is not merely a project; it is a structural response to a systemic need to elevate African-generated and African-owned evidence as a cornerstone of policymaking.”

Applications to ATTP are now open, with the proposal submission window closing on 24 September 2025. The award notification is scheduled for 14 November 2025, with disbursement expected on 19 December 2025.