By bringing together policy makers, think tankers, and practitioners from all over the world, the Nkafu Policy Institute aims to strengthen the capacities of CEMAC Think Tanks to produce relevant, high-quality research and influence policy at regional and continental levels
By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, September 15, 2023 – The Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation will from September 20-21 in Yaounde, organized the Central Africa Think Tank Forum, aimed at establishing a platform for exchange of knowledge and shared experiences between the various Think Tanks in the Central African region.
By bringing together policy makers, renowned researchers, think tankers, and practitioners from all over the world, the Nkafu Policy Institute aims to brainstorm across institutional policies to map out best strategies and enhance capacities for improved efficiency and more visible impact of think tanks in influencing policies across Central Africa.
The Central Africa Think Tank Forum comes on the heels of the two-day Leadership and Advocacy Immersion for Think Tank leaders of Central Africa. The event ran from July 25-26, and brought together some 15 think tank leaders from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), with the think tank leaders coming from Burundi, Rwanda, Congo Brazzaville, Congo Kinshasa, Central Africa Republic, Gabon, Chad and Cameroon.
This leadership immersion program was under the project “promoting women’s rights, accountability, security and integrated governance,” funded by Open Society Foundations and implemented by the Nkafu Policy Institute.
“We want to make sure that think tanks in Central Africa know each other, set up a network where they can discuss together and pool the means together to be more impactful in terms of policy changes,” Jean Blaise Nkonga, Interim Chief Operating Officer, DLFF told journalists.
Some tenets of the Central Africa Think Tank Forum include: Strategies to increase capacity and impact of Central African think tanks; Role of think tanks in promoting regional trade and AfCFTA Implementation; Submitting a Winning Grant Proposal (technical workshop) and many more.
In recent decades, think tanks have become key players in policy-making and the promotion of socio-economic development. Indeed, they play a central role in promoting open and transparent governance, the rule of law, respect for fundamental human rights, inclusive and sustainable conflict resolution, and much more.
However, think tanks in Central Africa remain institutionally fragile and are yet to exert a real influence in fostering the emergence of an open society in this region, and to maximize their impact, they must constantly optimize their strategies to strengthen their capacities.
Think tanks can unpack current and future issues at stake in African societies. Unlike in Western countries, think tanks in Africa still fight for recognition. If their expertise is generally respected, the political and security establishments in several countries often consider them agents of some hidden powers. Behind this suspicion lie interconnected issues related to independence and funding.
The Central Africa Think Tank Forum also seeks to establish a platform for exchange of knowledge and shared experiences between the various Think Tanks in the Central African region; Analyse specific challenges facing Think Tanks in the region, and opportunities for improvement; Explore best practices and effective strategies for strengthening Think Tank capacities and promote collaboration and partnerships between Think Tanks in the region and other key players, such as universities, governments and the private sector.
About the Nkafu Policy Institute
The Nkafu Policy Institute is a think tank within the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation whose purpose is to produce independent analysis to inform public debate. Its mission is to advance public policies that help all Africans thrive in free, fair and democratic economies. The Institute has distinguished itself as a leading research centre in Cameroon, committed to promoting open debate that builds consensus towards a democratic future.
