CTAs: catalysts of Africa’s STI transformation

An interview with Tom Ogada, executive director, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)

As part of the Science Granting Councils Initiative’s (SGCI) 10th anniversary reflections, we spoke with Prof Tom Ogada about the critical role played by the Collaborative Technical Agencies (CTAs) in strengthening Africa’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) systems.

The Impact story of CTAs in Africa’s STI transformation

CTAs are catalysts of Africa’s STI transformation—building stronger systems, smarter policies, and inclusive innovation.

For many years, African science systems faced some common challenges. Research and innovation were happening, but often in silos, with fragmented knowledge and systems, limited and uneven capacity, skewed gender participation and contribution, a disconnect between policies and practice, and a struggle to align funding, skills, and innovation ecosystems with national development priorities.

The SGCI approach

The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) was developed to address these challenges in diverse ways. The SGCI approached this work through seven key thematic areas: research management; use of data and evidence in policymaking; funding of research and innovation; strategic communications and knowledge uptake; strengthening gender equality and inclusivity; public-private partnerships in research and innovation; and the establishment of new funding agencies in West Africa.

The role of CTAs

Within the SGCI initiative, a role was identified for a diverse coalition of African institutions working at the nexus of these seven themes. These institutions were co-opted into the Initiative as Collaborative Technical Agencies (CTAs). Each CTA brings something unique to the Initiative, including policy foresight, data systems, research excellence, capacity building, innovation management, and science communication.

In essence, CTAs’ role within the SGCI can be summarised as capacity building and institutional strengthening. They support Science Granting Councils (SGCs) to design excellent calls and encourage transparent grant management, including through online grants management systems. CTAs have enhanced the institutional capacity of SGCs to design and manage fair, transparent, and impactful funding programmes. They have also contributed to professionalising research and grants management across Africa and setting standards that promote good financial grant practices, accountability, and impact.

Driving collaboration and inclusion

CTAs have facilitated and strengthened sustainable cross-border collaboration through joint calls, regional convenings, and engagement on shared challenges such as mining, climate resilience, health innovation, and food security. Ogada notes that the CTAs have also enhanced multistakeholder engagements within and across countries on various STI themes.

They have mainstreamed gender and inclusivity into STI policy and programming, grants management, and research and innovation practices. In addition, CTAs have supported improved evidence-informed policymaking by training SGCs on how to generate evidence and insight, and how to apply such evidence in policy, programming, and project design. They have also supported the development of evidence databases to ensure policies are based on sound data.

Building stronger systems and connections

CTAs have strengthened the linkage between research outputs and their uptake in society through public-private partnerships, ensuring innovations and research results reach industry and communities. They have also sharpened technology and policy foresighting and its adoption into STI policy frameworks in different countries, encouraging alignment of funding with national development and research priorities.

In addition, CTAs have supported science communication and knowledge brokerage to bridge the gap between science and society, transforming complex research outputs into accessible impact narratives.

A Catalytic force for change

Collectively, CTAs have woven a strong fabric of support for Science Granting Councils through the SGCI. Their role is not just technical but catalytic. They have shifted how science is valued and governed across the continent, strengthened the capacity of SGCs to discharge their duties, and moved practice from fragmented efforts to collaborative, forward-looking, and transformative systems.

They have embedded evidence in decision-making, developed innovation linkages between public research organisations and private sector actors, enhanced gender equality and inclusivity in research and innovation management, and amplified the visibility and relevance of African science and Science Granting Councils.

CTAs serve as enablers and architects of change, ensuring that Africa’s STI systems are not only stronger and more accountable but also sustainable and better positioned to drive transformation across the continent

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Published on 27 October 2025