Posts by Davis Weddi
Namibia’s role in advancing Africa’s science, technology, and innovation agenda
](https://sgciafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Windhoek.jpg)
From commitment to action – Namibia and the SGCI All Partners Forum 2026 Namibia is an important player in African research, and from 28 September to 2 October 2026, the country will host the Science Granting Councils Initiative’s (SGCI) All Partners Forum in Windhoek. With its experience of developing a national research and innovation system,…
Read MoreAs STISA-2034 call closes, Africa’s research councils look ahead
With the deadline for the SGCI/STISA-2034 Multilateral Call approaching on 25 September, research institutions and consortia that have not yet submitted their expressions of interest have until the end of the day to do so. The Call seeks collaborative research approaches to some of Africa’s pressing development priorities, with opportunities spanning health, agriculture, artificial intelligence,…
Read MoreNamibia project uses household data, smart meters to rethink water
In Namibia, having water nearby does not always mean having reliable water at home. In Rundu, a growing urban centre on the perennial Okavango River, households reported the highest level of water insecurity among three towns studied by researchers. The finding illustrates a wider challenge facing Namibia’s urban water systems, namely that improving water security…
Read MoreFrom commitment to action: why the 2026 All Partners Forum matters
When partners gather in Windhoek, Namibia, for the 2026 Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) All Partners Forum, they will meet at an important point in the evolution of Africa’s science, technology and innovation landscape. The Forum will be held from 28 September to 1 October 2026. The Forum comes less than a year after Science…
Read MoreSTISA-2034:Turning research into policy through knowledge uptake
Africa produces a growing body of research on the challenges shaping everyday life, yet a persistent gap remains between generating evidence and putting it to use. Research findings may be published in journals, presented at conferences and archived in institutional repositories, but too often they stop short of reaching the policymakers, practitioners and communities who…
Read MoreGhana research fund advances push for open research, science
The Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF) is taking steps to strengthen open access to publicly funded research, as the country develops a framework to advance Open Research and Open Science. GNRF hosted a one-day consultative workshop in Accra with the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP), bringing together stakeholders to explore how Ghana…
Read MoreSTISA-2034: Councils drive access to Africa’s research opportunity
For a continental research opportunity to deliver impact, researchers need to know whether they are eligible, understand how the opportunity fits their work, find the right partners, and navigate the application process. This is where Africa’s Science Granting Councils have a critical role to play. As partners in the SGCI–STISA 2034 Multilateral Research Call, the…
Read MoreNamibia’s young innovators showcase solutions at Falling Walls Lab
Namibia’s young innovators are developing practical solutions to some of the country’s pressing challenges, from improving mobility for people with visual impairments to finding ways of storing solar energy for use when sunlight is unavailable. These ideas were showcased at the Falling Walls Lab Namibia 2026, hosted by the National Commission on Research, Science and…
Read MoreSTISA-2034: One month left: Is your consortium ready?
With less than one month until the deadline, African researchers interested in the SGCI–STISA 2034 Multilateral Research Call should be moving from partnership-building to proposal preparation. The countdown has begun. Researchers and institutions have until 25 September 2026 at 23:59 EDT to submit expressions of interest for the Call, an opportunity that supports Africa-led research…
Read MoreEthiopia joins global AI body as national science systems expand
Ethiopia has joined 28 other countries in establishing a new international body to promote cooperation and governance in artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the country’s growing focus on using science, technology and innovation to drive development. Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, Belete Mola, signed the establishment agreement for the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO)…
Read More