The African Centre for Development Impact (ACDI) has been officially launched, marking a significant milestone in advancing evidence-informed policymaking across Africa.
The launch convened policymakers, researchers, development partners and institutional leaders, united by a shared commitment to strengthening the role of credible evidence in shaping policy, governance and development outcomes across the continent.
Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, First Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s 9th Parliament, highlighted the central role of evidence in governance:
“Evidence-informed policymaking is not simply an academic concept. It is an essential pillar of good governance, accountability and national development.”
He further emphasised that the quality of public decisions depends on the strength of the evidence that informs them, particularly in legislative oversight and resource allocation.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of ACDI, Prof. Charles Amoatey, reflected on the origins and purpose of the Centre:
“We realised the need to build local capacity to conduct relevant research that will inform policy decisions… ACDI aims at bridging this gap.”
He highlighted ACDI’s vision of a continent where public policies and development decisions are consistently informed by credible evidence, and outlined the Centre’s commitment to strengthening evidence generation, translation and use across Africa.
Chairing the event, Emeritus Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, emphasised the shift from intuition-driven policymaking toward evidence-based decision-making:
“We come from a part of the world where most policy decisions are driven largely by intuition… Today, there are institutions like ACDI that allow us to learn from the impact of previous policies.”
He noted that ACDI represents an important step in ensuring that data and evaluation findings increasingly inform policy choices across the continent.
Speaking on behalf of a key funding partner, Mr. Ousseynou Ngom of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation highlighted the broader significance of ACDI’s role:
“The real question is whether evidence is used, whether it informs decisions, shapes policies, and ultimately improves people’s lives.”
He reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting ACDI as a long-term partner in advancing inclusive and evidence-informed policymaking across Africa.
The launch also marked the transition from Development Impact West Africa (DIWA) into ACDI, signalling an expansion from a regional initiative to a continental platform dedicated to bridging the gap between research and policy.
As ACDI begins this new phase, it remains committed to working with governments, parliaments, research institutions and development partners to ensure that evidence does not remain on shelves, but informs real decisions that shape development outcomes across Africa.
This launch represents not just the establishment of an institution, but the beginning of a broader effort to embed evidence at the centre of policymaking across the continent.
African Centre for Development Impact (ACDI)
Advancing Evidence for Impact
