June 23–24, 2025 | Nairobi, Kenya
PEP Executive Director contributes to expert panel at 2025 Africa Evidence Summit
Nairobi, – The 2025 Africa Evidence Summit, held at the Movenpick Hotel in Nairobi, brought together researchers, policymakers, and development actors to explore strategies for advancing inclusive evidence ecosystems across Africa. The event, part of Nairobi Evidence Week, was co hosted by Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA)
PEP Executive Director, Prof. Jane Mariara, joined a panel of experts for a session on “Building a More Inclusive Evidence Ecosystem: Perspectives on CIDR’s Findings”. The session was grounded in recent research by the Collaboration for Inclusive Development Research (CIDR).
“I highlighted why the Partnership for Economic Policy cares about evidence-informed policymaking and inclusive research, noting that PEP’s model of capacity building is not aimed at ‘academics’ per se, but to ensure that there is local expertise to not only carry out research, but also to ensure that this research informs policy and practice in their home countries,” said Prof. Mariara.
She also emphasized PEP’s commitment to promoting the participation of Southern researchers and policymakers in local development, in line with PEP’s Call to Action.a
“It is interesting to see how closely the CIDR results resonate with learnings from PEP—especially on factors constraining low participation by local researchers in development research, and from our perspectives also in policy advising, consultancy, international conferences, and publishing, among other areas,” she added.
Prof. Mariara called on partners in the room to continue building collaboration and partnerships that harness synergies and resources in support of more inclusive research systems:
“We must work toward building more inclusive research networks in the Global South.”
Addressing early-career researchers, she encouraged active engagement and excellence:
“I further urged potential trainees and mentees to take advantage of available opportunities, to work hard and maintain quality work so that they could become the go-to fellows for opportunities in the future.”
Key takeaway: “There is a lot of demand for a more inclusive evidence ecosystem. I believe it can be done in spite of underlying financial and political uncertainty. It needs collective action and careful strategizing.”
The Summit agenda featured over 15 thematic sessions, including panels on education, health, livelihoods, gender, agriculture, climate change, and new data methods—demonstrating strong regional leadership in shaping Africa’s evidence future.
