Archive for October 2026
Can Rwanda’s farm waste help restore its depleted soils?
Locally developed vermicompost and biochar show promise for improving crop yields and soil health, but researchers say further testing is needed before wider adoption. The vermicompost process uses tiger worms to break down prepared organic materials into a dark, crumb-like product, while the biochar is made by heating crop residues under restricted oxygen. For Beata…
Read MoreVoices from the SGCI Forum: Building an African-led science system
From calls for African-led research funding to stronger engagement with communities and governments, participants at the 2026 Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) All Partners Forum left Windhoek with a shared sense that Africa’s science and innovation systems are entering a new phase. Held from 28 September to 2 October, the Forum brought together science granting…
Read MoreNRF champions science, climate action and youth empowerment
Kenya’s National Research Fund (NRF) is strengthening efforts to connect scientific research, innovation and youth participation with practical responses to climate and environmental challenges. NRF chief executive officer Dickson Andala represented the fund at the launch of the Climate Policy and Advocacy Training – Cohort I, hosted by AfriYouth Care Group at the Kenya Institute…
Read MoreWindhoek Declaration: African science funders pledge to act as one
Science granting councils say Africa’s research systems need African ownership, steadier funding and less fragmentation. Here is what they agreed in Windhoek. African science granting councils adopted a collective declaration in Windhoek, Namibia, on 1 October 2026, as part of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) All Partners Forum 2026. It sets out how the…
Read MoreAfrica’s science councils urged to turn pledges into real impact
[NAMIBIA] African countries must strengthen collaboration, invest in research and scientists, and take greater ownership of science, technology and innovation if research is to deliver lasting development impact, participants at the 2026 Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) All Partners Forum have said. The call came during the final two days of the Forum in Windhoek,…
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