African think-tanks: practical solutions to practical problems

 In a decade or two, most Africans will be living in cities, and the population of potentially productive youth will be the highest in the world. This factor, added to others, could propel Africa into an era of growth at par with or even overtake the current trajectories of China and other Southeast Asian countries, or, without transformation, lapse into social chaos such as that of the ‘Arab Spring’. “We do not have infinite time to move to the next stage. Governments realise the urgency and we are working with them as we speak.”

In January this year, the heads of state and governments of the African Union completed their Common African Position (CAP) on the post-2015 development agenda, which prioritises job creation and inclusive growth. All recommend far-reaching economic transformation.

Rise of African think-tanks

As Yaw Ansu of ACET mentions earlier in the article, there were very few African think-tanks in 2010 but the numbers have grown very considerably since. What is driving this growth?

Nathalie Delapalme of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation believes that it is strong growth that is driving the creation of African think-tanks and other research bodies in recent years.

Amoako says that their proliferation is simply down to demand generated by strong economic growth. He says: “As the region begins what appears to be a turnaround, questions too are arising: What are the sources of this growth? How does it compare to previous periods? How do we make it last? These questions are being asked by governments themselves as well as businesses, funders and international partners. And those are the types of questions to which many think-tanks are turning their attention.”

Amoako identifies three phases in think-tank development in Africa. First, as African countries gained independence in the late fifties and sixties, think-tanks were established to help the nascent governments to build strong foundations.

‘As the region begins what appears to be a turnaround, questions too are arising: What are the sources of this growth? How do we make it last?’

In the second wave, the World Bank and IMF’s Structural Adjustment Programmes [SAPs] of the 1980s spurred the establishment of research institutions to measure the impact on African economies and to propose policy responses, as almost all African governments simply lacked the internal capacity for that level of analysis.

This latest wave has coincided with Africa’s recent economic growth.

The local roots of the new organisations are also crucial. The economies of many African countries were damaged by the crude solutions imposed by international financial institutions in the 1980s. Think-tanks that are based in Africa and mainly run by Africans should have both a greater sense of the economic reality on the ground and also stand a bigger chance of securing the ear of governments.

Amoako says: “Especially after the pain of the SAPs, African governments are more likely to be receptive to insights grounded in local knowledge and coming from local institutions.

“Some of the leaders of these think-tanks are experienced hands from the World Bank, UN and other international organisations, who are jumping at the opportunity to come back home and contribute more directly to shaping policy directions.” 

Dr Frannie A. Leautier, the former executive secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation, says: “Think-tanks have played an effective role in Africa’s development and will remain an integral component in the quest for poverty reduction and sustainable development for some time to come.

“These institutions have grown to offer the dialogue space required to tackle critical policy development challenges. They are also a dynamic place to nurture knowledge and learning, and share lessons that enable growth, action and above all transformation.”