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Namibia is set to take on a prominent leadership role in Africa’s science, technology, and innovation landscape as Anicia Peters, chief executive officer of the National Commission on Research, Science…
Namibia is set to take on a prominent leadership role in Africa’s science, technology, and innovation landscape as Anicia Peters, chief executive officer of the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), prepares to assume the Presidency of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Alliance in September 2026.
Peters will be inaugurated during the SGCI All Partners Meeting, which Namibia will host for the first time in Windhoek during the week of 28 September 2026.
The event will bring together science-granting councils, funders, technical partners, and policymakers from across Sub-Saharan Africa.
With this appointment, Namibia joins an influential leadership group that includes South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana, the current SGCI Alliance President.
Since its launch, SGCI has progressed through several phases. Phases I and 2 delivered significant gains, including digital grant management platforms, stronger peer-review systems, improved research standards, and expanded gender equality initiatives.
SGCI is now entering its third and most ambitious phase, SGCI-3, running from 2026 to 2030.
SGCI-3 represents a major financial commitment to Africa-led research, with partners collectively pledging USD 42 million in co-funding for 20 African science granting councils through 2030.
The funding coalition includes Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Government of Norway, and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Wellcome (UK), German Research Foundation(DFG), and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF). IDRC manages the programme on behalf of all funders.
Participating councils co-fund and manage research projects aligned with their national development priorities, while shaping regional research agendas and strengthening research capacity across the continent.
A defining feature of SGCI-3 is the establishment of the SGCI Alliance, a council-led governance structure designed to deepen African ownership of the initiative and position national science granting councils at the centre of research coordination and policy engagement.
The Windhoek meeting will mark a historic milestone for Namibia.
As Peters prepares to assume the Alliance Presidency, it will provide a platform for councils, funders, and partners to advance collaboration around SGCI-3’s core priorities: climate resilience, health security, food systems, and emerging technologies.
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Published on 10 March 2026
Written by Jackie Opara-Fatoye.
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