Posts by Davis Weddi

For those who missed our recent newsletter, here is a roundup of stories we published. We covered three ground-breaking initiatives that are transforming agricultural challenges into economic opportunities across East and Southern Africa. Eco-friendly kilns help Malawi’s fish curers cut losses A study assessing the economic impact of post-harvest fisheries losses found staggering wastage: 43 per cent…

In April 2025, the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in Sub-Saharan Africa marked ten years of enhancing the capacity of national public research funders. Since its inception, SGCI has worked across 17 countries to strengthen science, technology, and innovation (STI) systems by partnering with research councils, development agencies, and regional and international organisations. A 2014…

Across the African continent, Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in Africa are key to driving evidence-based science, technology, and innovation policies. These councils play an important role in shaping national development agendas and driving progress through strategic research funding and coordination. They, however, face significant challenges in their digital transformation efforts, including limited funding, outdated infrastructure,…

The Science Granting Councils across Africa are increasingly transforming science, technology, and innovation (STI) ecosystems, the 2024 SGCI annual forum report says. According to the report, the councils have significantly raised their profiles as funding bodies, evidenced by growing interest and proposal submissions from researchers across the continent covering the core thematic areas of the…

African scientists have been conducting cutting-edge research to tackle the continent’s challenges but need to improve engagement with policymakers to make an impact. In a virtual workshop on 23 April, researchers from diverse fields, including agriculture, health, education, and energy, gathered to learn how to transform their scientific findings into persuasive policy briefs that can…

[NAIROBI] Rose Osore has been growing cassava on her small farm in Busia County, western Kenya, for decades. Like many farmers in the region, she inherited the practice from her mother but never found it to be particularly profitable. “I have been farming for my household consumption … sometimes I donate to my neighbours when…

[LILONGWE] Closing his eyes as he battled smoke wafting from fish-smoking kilns in front of him, Issah Amin put more wood into one of seven ovens at Chikombe beach, a fish-landing site on Lake Malawi. “This is one of the hardest parts of this work,” Amin said, his eyes teary as he poked the firewood…

[KAMPALA] Ugandan researchers are transforming discarded banana stems into textiles, hair extensions and sanitary pads, positioning the East African nation to capitalise on growing global demand for sustainable fibres. The Banatex-EA (Banana Textiles in East Africa) project at Busitema University, eastern Uganda, has created spinnable banana fibre that can be used in textile production, presenting…