Africa’s research funding landscape is set for a major transformation with the planned launch of a pan-African alliance of science granting councils in 2026. The move is part of the Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI), which has entered its third phase and will transition into a long-term continental framework aimed at advancing innovation until at least 2034.

The new SGCI Alliance is expected to unify national funding bodies, strengthen Africa’s voice in global science, and align research investments with the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (Stisa-2034).

While African research systems have grown steadily over the past decade, they remain heavily reliant on international donors. According to delegates at the SGCI’s annual meeting in Accra last month, this dependency has left gaps between Africa’s stated priorities such as industrialisation and manufacturing and the projects most often supported by external funding.

“For example, engineering and manufacturing receive disproportionately low international support, despite being critical for Africa’s industrialisation,” the meeting communiqué noted.

The SGCI Alliance aims to reduce this imbalance by coordinating multi-country research calls that target African priorities, and by channelling resources through African-led funding mechanisms.

Launched in 2015, the SGCI has grown into the largest continental platform for strengthening science, technology and innovation systems. Today it brings together 20 national research councils and agencies, including new members Angola and Togo, which formally joined the initiative this year.

Although Togo does not yet have a fully established science granting council, it is conducting a feasibility study with EU support to lay the groundwork. “Admission into SGCI means a great deal to us,” said Kossi Sename Dodzi, director of scientific and technical research at Togo’s Ministry of Higher Education and Research. “It is an opportunity to be part of a pan-African programme and to benefit from the experiences of countries that have been members for longer.”

The SGCI’s growth has been supported by a coalition of international funders, including Canada’s International Development Research Centre, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, South Africa’s National Research Foundation, Germany’s Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and the development councils of Sweden and Norway.

At the Accra meeting, funders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting African research, but the emerging alliance places greater emphasis on African-led ownership of the research agenda. “We will advocate to and work with donors to channel increased support through African-led mechanisms such as SGCI,” the communiqué stated.

The SGCI Alliance will not only expand membership across the continent but also position Africa to play a more coordinated role in addressing global challenges through science and technology. By prioritising translation of research into policy, products and services, the alliance aims to build a knowledge economy that serves Africa’s development goals while also strengthening its participation in global research networks.

 

Article by Jed Mwangi

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