The Africa LEEPS Partnership (Learning together to advance Evidence and Equity in Policymaking to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals) announces a significant milestone in its journey to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking across sub-Saharan Africa. After a successful first phase of two years, focused on a foundation for a vibrant ecosystem connecting researchers, knowledge brokers, and policymakers, the network will now transition to full African leadership and management.

In this strategic shift, effective January 2026, all aspects of the partnership will be led by the three lead African partner organizations – the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED), the Centre for Rapid Evidence Synthesis (ACRES), and the African Institute for Policy Development (AFIDEP) – shifting full decision making and resources to the region. This includes technical activities at the country and partnership levels, network coordination, and learning and engagement functions, in line with the project’s overarching goal of cultivating a self-sustaining, African-led evidence ecosystem.

“This transition is not an end, but a powerful beginning. It is a testament to the early success and strong leadership of our African partners,” said Abeba Taddese, Senior Program Director at Results for Development (R4D), which served as the initial learning and engagement coordinator. “Our role was always to help catalyze and connect, and the most powerful signal of success is stepping away when the network is strong, vibrant, and ready to soar on its own. We are immensely honored to have played a role in the partnership’s journey and will be cheering our partners on as they continue to transform how evidence is produced, mobilized, and used on the continent.”

Launched in October 2023 with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, Africa LEEPS has worked to advance the use of evidence in policymaking to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The network’s unique ecosystem approach has fostered deep collaboration at the country level, strengthening the entire evidence-to-policy process.

The three core institutions have been the engine of this progress, each pioneering distinct and effective models:

• The Centre of Excellence Evidence Policy Action (EPA Centre), led by the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED), is supporting activities with a strong focus on gender mainstreaming, climate data integration, and leveraging technological innovations like AI and geographic information systems to enhance the use of evidence in policy processes.
• The East African Regional Evidence Synthesis Initiative (EARESI), led by the Centre for Rapid Evidence Synthesis (ACRES), is enabling collaborative stakeholder engagement, evidence briefs developed through Rapid Response Services, digital tools for evidence access, and capacity-building programs across health and energy sectors.
• The Alliance for Evidence and Equity in Policy-making in Africa (AEEPA), led by the African Institute for Policy Development (AFIDEP), continues strengthening evidence use in reproductive health and clean energy sectors while deepening institutional capacity for gender-responsive evidence-informed policymaking through targeted training, mentorship, and strategic technical support.

“The Africa LEEPS model has proven that the most sustainable way to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking is by investing in local evidence-use organizations and fostering peer-to-peer learning, building the capacities of individuals and institutions across the continent,” said Illiassou Hamidou Soumana, Senior Program Officer at Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC). “This transition to full African ownership is exactly the kind of outcome we aim to support.”

Moving forward, a newly co-created governance structure will guide the partnership’s strategic direction and facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity strengthening, and collaborative problem-solving among members.

“This transition is an important moment for strengthening development policies rooted in more relevant and timely evidence. We appreciate our collaboration with R4D, and taking full stewardship of the Africa LEEPS network enables us to deepen our impact and support more context-responsive, evidence-informed solutions across the continent,” said Frejus Thoto, Executive Director, ACED.

For more information about the Africa LEEPS network and its initiatives, please visit our website www.africaleeps.org.

About Africa LEEPS:
Africa LEEPS is a partnership of leading African evidence organizations working to strengthen the evidence-to-policy process across sub-Saharan Africa. By fostering deep connections and effective collaboration between researchers, knowledge brokers, and policymakers, Africa LEEPS aims to advance the use of evidence in policymaking to support progress towards the SDGs.