Message From the Chair of the Evidence for Development Conference 

Message From the Chair of the Evidence for Development Conference 

It is my honour to welcome you to the inaugural Evidence for Development (Evi4Dev) Conference, held under the theme: “Optimising the Role of Data, Evidence, and Innovations in Africa’s Efforts to Create Wealth, Empower Citizens, and Foster Responsive Governance.” The Conference, to be held every two years, provides a platform for bolstering efforts to centre research, data, and innovation in Africa’s development, which is requisite for accelerating progress towards the realisation of the Agenda 2063 and the SDGs 2030 Agenda. The Conference convenes top leaders from African governments and their development partners, research and academic institutions, private sector players, young people, and implementing partners.  

The Conference is co-convened through a strategic partnership between the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), and the Science for Africa (SFA) Foundation. The co-conveners have been joined by other partners and sponsors including: William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, African Center for Equitable Development (ACED), IDinsight, The Mawazo Institute, Speak Up Africa, Strathmore University, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Afrobarometer, Africa Evidence Network (AEN), PATH, LEEPS Partnership, Coalition for Health Research and Development (CHReaD), African Health Research, Innovation and Development Alliance (AHRIDA), African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Busara Center for Behavioral Economics, Evidence Use in Environmental Policymaking in Nigeria (EUEPiN), University of Lagos, Population Council, and The Center for Rapid Evidence Synthesis (ACRES).  

Over three days, our sessions will centre on three critical themes: enhancing the governance and financing of science, technology and innovation (STI); strengthening the generation and translation of research and innovations into policy decisions, actions and products; and institutionalising evidence-informed policymaking (EIP) as routine practice at all levels of development across the continent. The rich diversity of delegates gathered here, from government leaders and researchers to civil society, youth, media, and private sector actors promises to offer a rich space for cross-learning and collective ambition. Our aim is to create an inclusive platform that brings together actors from across the science, technology, innovation, and policy ecosystems to interrogate what is working, share lessons, and co-develop actionable solutions to the continent’s pressing development challenges.    

In designing the programme, we curated a broad and dynamic range of plenary sessions, issue-framing papers, oral presentations, and side events, which explore how science, technology, and innovation can transform development outcomes across Africa.  The different committees of the conference have worked diligently to create a platform that is welcoming and conducive to meaningful engagement. We are proud to host a conference that reflects the diversity and collaborative spirit of Africa’s STI and EIP communities.   

We hope that the conversations and commitments made here will spark action, drive policy reforms, and inspire new partnerships long after the conference ends. Let us use this space not just to share knowledge, but to chart concrete pathways and partnerships that will ensure data, evidence, and innovation truly serve the people of Africa. Importantly, let us not look at this Conference as an event, but as a movement that we have collectively birthed today that will continue to work in between the conferences to, among others, increase investments in research and development, strengthen data systems to enable routine evidence-informed policy decisions, remove persisting barriers in STI governance in Africa including barriers to the commercialisation of innovations, and embed citizen-generated data and citizen voices in government decision-making.

To all our delegates and speakers: thank you for choosing to be here! We hope you find the sessions enriching, the networks invaluable, and the experience inspiring. Let us use this opportunity to connect, to learn, and to build relationships that will sustain our shared commitment to Africa’s development long after these three days conclude.  

Rose Oronje, PhD 
Chair of the Evidence for Development Conference 

Director, Public Policy & Knowledge Translation, & Head of Kenya Office, AFIDEP