NGO / Non-Profit Associations
"AFI DEP bridges research, policy, and practice for sustainable African development."
Established in 2009, the African Institute for Development Policy (AFI DEP) is an African-led, regional non-profit policy think tank dedicated to bridging the divide between research, policy, and practice in the areas of population dynamics, sustainable development, and health systems strengthening across Africa. AFI DEP’s mission is to advance sustainable socio-economic progress by facilitating the development of policies and program interventions grounded in rigorous, evidence-based research within these key focus areas.
Our Context
Despite ongoing efforts to enhance the integration of research evidence into decision-making processes in Africa, significant challenges persist. Existing research is frequently scattered across disparate scientific publications and lacks the necessary synthesis or presentation tailored to the needs of policymakers. Additionally, the evidence often fails to align with the specific policy and program priorities of decision-makers, as they are seldom engaged in identifying the knowledge gaps that research aims to address. The application of evidence is particularly deficient in addressing the critical implementation gap between policy formulation and execution—a persistent development challenge in Africa. This shortfall stems in part from a shortage of actionable research evidence that could effectively guide the design and implementation of interventions with the greatest potential to drive meaningful improvements in livelihoods.
