Africa’s Intellectual Renaissance: The Birth of the African Policy Research Consortium (APRC)

Abuja, Nigeria – October 3, 2025

Africa is speaking. And this time, the world is listening.

In the heart of a continent long celebrated for its potential yet too often constrained in its realization, a bold new initiative is rising to redefine the balance of ideas, influence, and policy. The African Policy Research Consortium (APRC) is not merely another think tank. It is a deliberate, African-led, Pan-continental movement, conceived to harness the continent’s intellectual energy and transform the way African policy is conceived, debated, and implemented.

From Fragmentation to Unity

APRC emerged from this urgent insight. Under the visionary stewardship of Professor N’Dri Thérèse Assié-Lumumba, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees; Professor Mondy Gold, Coordinator of the African Diaspora for Good Governance and former Chairman of the NADECO Board of Trustees; and Biki Minyuku, the distinguished Executive Secretary of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, who played a central role alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu in advancing national healing and transformative justice as Co-Chairmen of the Governing Council, the consortium brings together Africa’s foremost think tanks, research institutions, and diaspora networks into a single, strategically coordinated, purpose-driven entity.

Professor Steve Azaiki, Executive Coordinator, emphasizes, “This is about constructing a knowledge ecosystem that is sustainable, inclusive, and unapologetically African.” For decades, African policymakers have too often relied on fragmented guidance, externally driven research, and models misaligned with the continent’s realities. “Africa’s destiny cannot continue to be shaped by outsiders,” asserts Dr. Edward Agbai, APRC Convener. “We must take ownership of the knowledge that informs our policies and the institutions that implement them.”

A Pan-African Network with Global Reach

At the core of APRC’s design are institutions with proven track records: the IMANI Center for Policy & Education (Ghana) serves as the fiscal and logistical anchor; South Africa’s Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) contributes regional expertise; and Nigeria’s Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (CentreLSD) brings operational and thematic strength. Complementing these pillars are specialized partners across Central and West Africa, ensuring a truly continental footprint.

The consortium’s ambitions extend far beyond Africa’s borders. Strategic partnerships with institutions such as Hensard University (Nigeria), the Prairies Africa Partnership (Canada), and the Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Development (USA) forge a bridge between African knowledge systems and the global intellectual arena, empowering African scholarship to set, rather than follow, the international policy agenda.

From Vision to Action

APRC’s mandate aligns seamlessly with Agenda 2063, the African Union’s blueprint for an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa. Its research spans seven priority areas: economic transformation, climate change, regional trade, food security, human capital development, digitalization, and security. Each thematic area is led by distinguished scholars dedicated to generating actionable insights for policymakers.

Professor Charles Orbih, head of the digitalization theme, remarks, “Africa’s digital future is not a spectator sport. We are positioning ourselves to lead the conversation on AI, digital infrastructure, and economic transformation.” Similarly, Professor Azwihangwisi Edward Nensamvini, leading research on food security, underscores the consortium’s pragmatic focus: “We aim to turn policy research into real, measurable impact on African communities.”

Governance, Accountability, and Inclusivity

APRC’s multi-tiered governance model reflects international best practices while remaining finely attuned to Africa’s political and institutional realities. Gender equity and inclusivity are embedded at every level, ensuring women occupy leadership positions and that all research incorporates gender-disaggregated data. “The future of African knowledge is not just African; it is equitable, diverse, and inclusive,” affirms Professor Mpoko Bokanga, Climate Change thematic leader from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A Movement, Not a Project

Beyond the production of research outputs, APRC represents a paradigm shift. It challenges the continent to rethink intellectual sovereignty, knowledge production, and the dynamic interplay between policy and evidence. Its Secretariat, Africa Knowledge Repository, and fellowship programs are designed to nurture a culture of rigorous, credible, and impactful scholarship for generations to come.

Dr. Theophilus Acheampong, thematic leader for Economic Transformation & Governance from Ghana, captures the ethos succinctly: “APRC is a movement. It is Africa declaring, ‘We will produce our own ideas, solve our own problems, and guide our own destiny.’”

An Invitation to the World

As APRC steps confidently onto the global stage, it extends an open invitation to governments, civil society actors, donors, and international partners to join in building Africa’s intellectual infrastructure. The consortium is transparent, accountable, and ready to collaborate, but its vision is resolute: African ideas for African solutions, shaping the continent’s destiny on its own terms.

APRC is more than a consortium. It is a declaration: Africa is ready to lead, innovate, and redefine the policy landscape of the twenty-first century.