Researchers offer sustainable future for Malawi’s tobacco industry

Research team members -Dr Junice Dzonzi and Chisomo Mussa

Malawian researchers are using crop residues to help farmers cure tobacco while saving trees, cutting costs, and easing the nation’s deforestation crisis. The crop’s reliance on firewood for curing is driving deforestation, putting both forests and livelihoods at risk. Tobacco is Malawi’s economic backbone, accounting for two-thirds of foreign exchange earnings and employing thousands of…

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Ask the expert: Nicholas Ozor on strengthening research in West Africa

During the high-level policy dialogue in Abuja_Nigeria

In this Ask the expert article, Nicholas Ozor, executive director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), shares highlights of the Strengthening the National Research and Innovation Funding Agencies in West Africa (SRIFA) project under the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI). Strengthening the National Research and Innovation Funding Agencies in West Africa (SRIFA) ATPS,…

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Ask the expert: Lorenza Fluks on SGCI’s gender project

Lorenza Fluks spoke about the Science Granting Councils Initiative's (SGCI) Gender, Equity, and Inclusivity (GEI) project

In this Ask the expert article, Lorenza Fluks spoke about the Science Granting Councils Initiative’s (SGCI) Gender, Equity, and Inclusivity (GEI) project, led by the Human Sciences Research Council in collaboration with Jive Media Africa, Portia UK, and Gender at Work, which supported the foundational work during Phase I. 1. Tell us more about the…

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Women researchers driving change through SGCI-funded projects

Farmers in Shianda Kakamega county being trained on the vegetable preservation technologies using the solar dryer and the charcoal coolant on March 7 2025

Across Africa, women are contributing to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and leading transformative projects that tackle some of the continent’s most pressing challenges. Through their work, they are breaking stereotypes, solving real-world problems, and inspiring the next generation of girls to see themselves as scientists, innovators, and changemakers. With funding from the Science…

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Highlights from the second research management symposium

The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), in collaboration with Côte d’Ivoire’s Fonds pour la Science, la Technologie et l'Innovation (FONSTI), recently convened the second annual Research and Innovation Management (RIM) Symposium in Abidjan

The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), in collaboration with Côte d’Ivoire’s Fonds pour la Science, la Technologie et l’Innovation (FONSTI), recently convened the second annual Research and Innovation Management (RIM) Symposium in Abidjan. The symposium gathered Science Granting Councils (SGCs), researchers, development partners, and policy leaders to take stock of progress and lessons from…

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FONSTI launches policies to boost research governance

The Fund for Science, Technology, and Innovation (FONSTI) has made a significant move in strengthening Côte d’Ivoire’s national research system by officially launching eight institutional policies. The polices were launched during a high-level workshop in Grand-Bassam held from 15 to 16 July under the theme “strengthening scientific governance through the structuring of FONSTI’s policies. A…

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FONRID awards student innovation

FONRID

The National Fund for Research and Innovation for Development (FONRID) hosted the first edition of University Innovation Day at Thomas Sankara University. The event, which was held on 17 July, provided a vibrant platform for showcasing the ingenuity of young innovators. The initiative is part of FONRID’s broader commitment to fostering a thriving environment for…

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Pay-as-you-go solar irrigation supports rural women

The solar Panels

[NAIROBI] A solar-powered, “pay-as-you-go” irrigation system being piloted in Mozambique and Zambia is reducing farmers’ dependence on rainfall and easing the burden of water collection on women. The two countries are prone to both floods and droughts, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. Since early 2024, Zambia has been in…

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Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural healthcare gap

Rose-Mary Gyening interacting with rural health workers on how to use the app. Researchers developed the mobile app to connect Ghana's rural communities to healthcare services. Copyright: Theodore A. Korku Mawutor

[KUMASI, GHANA, SciDev.Net] For years, frontline nurses at community-based health planning services have been forced to improvise with limited resources, no labs, no ultrasound machines, and sometimes no electricity. When complications arose, patients needed to travel to better-equipped hospitals, often several kilometres away. “We see cases where pregnant women are transported on bicycles or motorbikes…

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Cashew waste a lucrative business for Ghana’s youth

Youth participating in one of the training sessions. The science-led project trains them to make juice, sausage and compost, with zero waste. Copyright: Albert Oppong-Ansah / SciDev.Net

[ACCRA, SciDev.Net] In Ayigbe, a rural community in Ghana’s Bono Region, 35-year-old Michael Kyereme paid off a university debt of GHS 3,500 (US$335) in just three months. He managed this not by getting a highly paid salaried job, but by selling juice made from the fleshy part of the cashew fruit that most farmers throw…

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