Strengthening the national research and innovation funding agencies in West Africa

The Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) is a multi-donor initiative funded by IDRC, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, South Africa’s National Research Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the German Research Foundation. Since its inception in 2015, the SGCI has been strengthening the capacities of science granting councils in sub-Saharan African countries to support research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to economic and social development. Specifically, the initiative has been strengthening the capacities of councils in research management; use of data and evidence in policy and decision-making; funding research and innovation projects; strategic communications and knowledge translation; and gender equality and inclusivity.

As part of the SGCI’s second phase, IDRC and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation agreed on a new partnership to deepen and extend SGCI’s strategic engagements with up to 17 councils over a period of four years (2022–2025) in areas that are complementary to ongoing SGCI activities. These areas include supporting the councils to fund and manage research and innovation projects.

This project will support the strengthening of national research and innovation funding agencies in West Africa. Where they do not yet exist, the project will support the development of frameworks for establishing new agencies. The work will take place in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. It will be implemented over 32 months with a total budget of CAD 1 million by a consortium that comprises the African Technology Policy Studies Network and the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja, Nigeria.