27-30 April 2026 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
PEP joined twelve peer institutions to sign formal agreements and align research programmes under a US$50 million platform designed to put African evidence at the centre of African policy.
Group photo of participants at the African Think Tank Platform (ATTP) Coordination and Capacity-Strengthening Workshop held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27–30 April 2026.
On 27 April 2026, thirteen of Africa's leading research institutions gathered at the African Union Commission (AUC) headquarters in Addis Ababa to formally launch the most ambitious continental evidence platform the African Union has ever built. PEP was among them. When the signed contracts were handed across the table that morning, PEP's Resource Mobilisation Manager, Peter Nderitu, was in the room to receive one on the organisation’s behalf.
The contracts are Performance Partnership Agreements (PPAs), signed between the AUC and the think tanks selected to deliver the Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP). Backed by US$50 million from the World Bank, ATTP is designed to ground continental policymaking in African-produced evidence, spanning five regions and six thematic areas: regional trade, food security, economic transformation and governance, human capital development, digitalisation, and climate change.
“The official handover of the PPA provides PEP with an endorsement from the highest level of leadership of the AUC. This is critical for initiating a working relationship with the member states where the research and policy engagement work will be conducted,” said Peter.
The four-day Coordination and Capacity Strengthening Workshop (27-30 April) brought together all three ATTP consortia for the first time. Think tanks from Cairo to Cape Town, Nairobi to Rabat aligned their research programmes, agreed on shared standards, and established the working rhythms that will carry the platform through the next five years. A hybrid format ensured that all ATTP collaborators could participate.
PEP’s Executive Director, Prof. Jane Mariara, said: “I was heartened by the genuine commitment from all sides to build something that lasts beyond any single grant cycle. ATTP is an opportunity to shift how African evidence is produced and used, and PEP is ready to play its part."
PEP played an active role throughout, contributing particularly to the discussions about the Research Alliance for Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development (RAISED Africa). PEP is a member of the RAISED Africa consortium, alongside the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and led by the Economic Research Forum (ERF). PEP researchers and specialists also joined sessions on research harmonisation, results frameworks, strategic communications, and financial compliance.
Peter Nderitu reflected on what stood out during the week: "I was particularly impressed by the high level of commitment and support exemplified by the AUC leadership. The Deputy Chairperson and key departmental representatives participated actively in harmonising the research agenda, sharing their insights on how this research will accelerate implementation of priority activities under Africa's Agenda 2063. They were open to dialogue, pointed us to key data sources within the AUC, and helped us identify critical entry points where our research can inform decision-making."
PEP serves as the methods hub within RAISED Africa, bringing tools such as microsimulation and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling. These analytical frameworks allow researchers to show, in concrete terms, what a policy reform will mean for real households and real economies.
The AUC Deputy Chairperson, H.E. Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, described ATTP as a platform for policy "driven by African solutions, informed by African expertise." Now the PPAs are signed and the kick-off workshop has concluded, PEP is a named partner in delivering that ambition, with a formal mandate from the African Union Commission.
PEP serves as the methods hub within RAISED Africa, bringing tools such as microsimulation and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling. These analytical frameworks allow researchers to show, in concrete terms, what a policy reform will mean for real households and real economies.
The AUC Deputy Chairperson, H.E. Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, described ATTP as a platform for policy "driven by African solutions, informed by African expertise." Now the PPAs are signed and the kick-off workshop has concluded, PEP is a named partner in delivering that ambition, with a formal mandate from the African Union Commission.
About the African Think Tank Platform (ATTP)
The African Think Tank Platform (ATTP) is an initiative of the African Union, financially supported by the World Bank. It aims to enhance the contributions of African think tanks to policy development and the implementation of continental priorities. Through strategic partnerships, capacity strengthening, and structured engagement with AU institutions, the ATTP promotes the production and uptake of high-quality, policy-relevant research to further Africa’s development agenda.
