EVIDENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 2025
The inaugural Evidence for Development Conference 2025 (Evi4Dev2025), held in Nairobi, brought together experts from 31 African countries to advance the use of science, research, data, and innovation in Africa’s development. Organized by AUDA-NEPAD, the Science for Africa Foundation, and the Africa Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), the biennial event focused on optimizing data and innovation to drive wealth creation, citizen empowerment, and inclusive governance in line with the SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
Participants included policymakers, researchers, parliamentarians, young innovators, civil society, and private sector actors. Discussions emphasized the gap between scientific research and its practical application, slow uptake of innovation, brain drain, and fiscal constraints due to debt. The conference highlighted the need for targeted, evidence-based interventions to overcome these challenges and accelerate sustainable development across the continent.
Malawi’s Minister of Higher EducationDr. Jessie Kabilwa called for more investment in research and knowledge ecosystem to achieve 21st Century workforce that Africa needs.
“Africa’s higher education enrolment stands at around 9% compared to a global average of 38%. Africa invests around 0.5% of its GDP in research and development compared to the global average of 2.2%. Dr. Kabilwa warned of continents ‘brain drain’ as talented researchers and innovators leave due to limited opportunities and undefunded infrastructure.
Chief Executive Officer for Science for Africa Foundation Dr. Tom Kariuki called for updated knowledge and innovation across sectors.
“Evidence is crital in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, education. Many of our farming practices are outdated. Young people need access to modern, evidence-based knowledge to succeed,” he said.
Dr. Ojenge Winston from the Africa Center for Technology Studies focusing on Ethics of Artificial intelligence said data is critical if evidence is to be used in decision and policy making. “AI is a multisectoral tool, serving all sectors that have data, so the evidence here is basically that AI feeds on data, so it learns about the environment by collecting data from that environment and that’s majorly is the evidence and that is missing in basically all the sectors,” explained Dr. Ojenge.
Senior Advisor Science Technology and Innovation at AUDA-NEPAD Prof. Brando Okolo emphasized on the need of ensuring truth, saying true progress does not only depend on just having evidence but its truth. “Confirming the integrity of the evidence we rely on is a vital mission, one that will shape the Africa we aspire to build,” he added.
Dr. Eliya Zullu executive director of AFIDEP stressed the need for using evidence to enhance efficiency and ensure every resource counts. ” Every year billions of dollars are lost through mismanagement, inefficiencies and outright theft. Research shows that corruption costs the continent over 140bn dollars annually which is more than enough to finance critical sectors” he concluded.
