Research Think Tank
Knowledge. Insight. Influence.
We are a pan-African research and innovation hub dedicated to elevating African Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the age of advanced technologies and AI.
Our Think Tank designs and tests evidence-based ideas at the intersection of culture, technology, and public policy, turning deep contextual insight into actionable strategies. We convene scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to co-create solutions that center African epistemologies while engaging global standards of rigor.
By translating indigenous wisdom into data-driven frameworks, we help shape fairer tech and AI, more responsive institutions, and future-ready societies in Africa and beyond.
Our Think Tank Focus: 5 Core Research Pillars
Indigenous Knowledge & Epistemologies
We foreground African Indigenous Knowledge Systems as living, evolving frameworks for understanding the world.
Our research asks how oral traditions, community memory, spirituality, and land-based practices can inform contemporary science, technology, and social policy.
Using participatory and decolonial methods, we co-produce knowledge with communities, ensuring that indigenous epistemologies shape research questions, evidence standards, and impact pathways.
AI & Emerging Technologies
We explore how artificial intelligence and frontier technologies can be designed, governed, and evaluated through African values and lived realities.
Our work interrogates data justice, algorithmic bias, language inclusion, and the ethics of automation in African societies.
Through interdisciplinary research and experimentation, we prototype context-aware AI solutions that respect cultural diversity, protect rights, and expand collective agency rather than deepen digital extractivism.
Governance, Public Policy & Institutions
We examine how African governments, regional bodies, and local institutions can craft policies that center indigenous knowledge and innovation in the age of AI.
Key questions include how to regulate data, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies while safeguarding sovereignty, equity, and community consent.
Combining policy analysis, scenario building, and stakeholder dialogues, we generate actionable insights that inform legislation, strategies, and public-interest regulation.
Climate, Land & Resilience
We investigate how indigenous ecological knowledge and community stewardship can drive climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, and regenerative land use.
Our research focuses on questions of climate justice, loss and damage, and the role of AI and data in supporting locally led resilience strategies.
Working with farmers, pastoralists, and traditional authorities, we document practices, model risks, and co-design tools that strengthen environmental governance and intergenerational resilience.
Inclusive & Regenerative Economies
We study how African economies can transition toward models that are inclusive, circular, and rooted in community solidarity.
Our work asks how indigenous economic logics—such as reciprocity, cooperativism, and shared stewardship—can inform digital innovation, creative industries, and entrepreneurship in the AI era.
Using mixed methods and policy experimentation, we identify pathways for decent work, fair value distribution, and innovation ecosystems that uplift marginalized groups.
Our Impact, Partnerships & Flagship Initiatives
Influential Policy Briefs & Reports
Our Think Tank produces evidence-based policy briefs and flagship reports that inform national and regional decision-making across Africa. Some of our publications are co-authored with African scholars and practitioners, ensuring that recommendations are grounded in local realities and data.
All outputs are openly accessible, with clear metrics on citations, policy references, and training use to track real-world impact.
Collaborative Research & Innovation
We co-design research and innovation pilots with universities, civil society, and communities, focusing on how AI and digital tools can address African development priorities. Projects are structured to build local capacity and share methods openly.
Across all initiatives, African scholars, practitioners, and youth are principal investigators, product owners, and community liaisons, ensuring that solutions are locally owned and sustainable.
Why Partner With Us
For policymakers & institutions: Engage our think tank for evidence-based advisory, co-design of inclusive AI policies, and long-term institutional partnerships that translate vision into implementable roadmaps.
For researchers & academics: Collaborate on joint studies, visiting fellowships, and open knowledge exchanges that connect rigorous scholarship with real-world AI innovation across African contexts.
For innovators & funders: Work with us to design pilots, de-risk investments, and build strategic partnerships that scale responsible AI solutions for communities and markets across the continent.
Together, we can architect Africa’s knowledge future in the Tech & AI era.
Let’s build Africa’s future together.
OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS
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