Science Granting Councils Initiative Announces Support for Africa's STI Policy Agenda at AU Meetings

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | February 12, 2026 — Ahead of the Annual Summit of Heads of State at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa this February, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC); the Government of Norway; the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Welcome (UK); the German Research Foundation (DFG); and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), jointly announced a new joint commitment of CAD 57 million (approximately USD 42 million) to support the implementation of the African Union’s (AU) Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034). This will be delivered through the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), a partnership led by Science Granting Councils from 20 sub-Saharan African countries in close collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD.

This international contribution builds on a collective pledge made by SGCI member Councils in September 2025 to work with the AU to strengthen the continent’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) systems to drive sustainable development. In the forthcoming months, African councils will plan their respective co-investments to mobilise national funds and ensure the initiative’s long-term financial viability.

Why these investments?

From climate vulnerabilities and emerging infectious diseases to food insecurity and technological disruptions, the need for robust STI systems to address Africa’s development challenges has never been more critical. Robust and inclusive STI systems are vital for driving social and economic development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Science Granting Councils (SGCs) play a critical intermediary role in these systems by funding, managing, and translating research and innovation into policy and practice. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, national councils face interconnected challenges and, as a result, African research and innovation remain underutilised as drivers of sustainable development.

Since March 2015, two successive five-year phases of the Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI-1 and SGCI-2) have addressed systemic constraints by both co-investing in local research projects and by strengthening councils as institutions.

These efforts have strengthened key organisational capabilities: improving the design and management of research calls, enhancing research, and innovation governance. It has helped councils to advance evidence‑informed policymaking and boost strategic communications and knowledge uptake. It has also worked with councils to mainstream gender equality and inclusion, enabling public‑private partnerships and commercialisation, and supporting the creation of new Councils.

The next steps of the SGCI

Running from 2026 to 2030, this new contribution will establish a third phase of SGCI (SGCI-3), building on the strong foundation laid since 2015. SGCI-3 is structured around three core outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Increased production of high-quality, Africa-led research and scaled innovations that address development challenges

SGCI will co-fund research and innovation administered by councils and aligned with national priorities. It will also support multi-country initiatives targeting STISA-2034 priority areas—agriculture, health, ICT, energy, and the environment—and expand partnerships and attract new investments to address transboundary challenges.

• Outcome 2: Enhanced STI policy influence by African Science Granting Councils

Councils will be strategically positioned to shape and implement national and regional STI policies through strengthened monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) capacity; evidence-informed policy engagement; and active participation in multi-stakeholder dialogues and international STI fora.

• Outcome 3: Strengthened research and innovation management operations of SGCs

SGCI-3 will provide coordinated technical assistance, support peer-learning and tailored training to institutionalise capacity development across councils.

How will SGCI drive Africa’s priorities and STISA Implementation?

The new phase establishes the SGCI Alliance, a new platform designed to further strengthen African ownership across all SGCI activities. Through the Alliance, councils will lead decision-making, shape research agendas, and foster strategic partnerships.

SGCI and the African Union will work closely to position councils as a key mechanism for translating STISA-2034 into national and regional impact, supported by funding partners and African stakeholders. Multi-country calls for research proposals across the five STISA-2034 priority themes are expected later this year. AUDA-NEPAD, as coordinator of STISA 2034 implementation, will collaborate with national science councils to mobilise additional resources, including domestic STI funding and public–private partnerships.

More about the SGCI activities at the 39th African Union Summit

AUDA-NEPAD, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), will launch the STISA 2034 implementation plan on the margins of the 39th African Union Summit to solidify the implementation plan as Africa’s roadmap for STI over the next decade. SGCI’s presence at the AU meetings aims to demonstrate to policymakers the value of increased R&D funding and policy harmonisation, and the importance of empowering national councils to become strategic drivers of inclusive innovation and sustainable growth.

The STISA 2034 implementation plan highlights the need to “…strengthen linkages with the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) by leveraging its experience in funding research and innovation across Africa. This will enhance national-level research funding systems, foster evidence-informed STI policies, and build the capacity of granting councils to support the effective domestication and implementation of STISA 2034”

Activities held during the week, such as an interactive policy workshop, in partnership with the African Centre for Technology Studies and AUDA‑NEPAD, will support the development of these linkages which will be important to advance STISA 2034 implementation.

Quick Facts

• The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Alliance brings together participating councils from 20 sub-Saharan African countries: Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Togo and Angola are the newest members, having joined the initiative in September 2025.
• NRF South Africa played a central role in establishing SGCI, providing significant financial and technical contributions, and over the past decade has been the only African Science Granting Council in SGCI’s leadership alongside international donors. In this new phase, NRF South Africa will play a key role within the councils-led SGCI Alliance, leveraging its expertise in bilateral and multilateral research collaboration, capacity strengthening, and aligned funding mechanisms.
• Ghana currently serves as Chair of the SGCI Alliance and leads the Councils Coordination Group, together with South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia.

For more information visit:sgciafrica.org