In the early years of the Africa Evidence Network (AEN), I had the privilege and the humility to serve as a member of the AEN Reference Group. Looking back, I am filled with gratitude for the journey and for the remarkable evidence pioneers and pacesetters who walked this path with me: Enock Musungwini, Godson Gatsha, Julian Bagyendera, Jennifer Opare-Kumi, Ruth Stewart, Dennis Omvia, Kirchuffs Atengble, Kassu Ketema Gurmu, Velia Manyonga, James Kariuki Ngumo, Olfa Soukri, Filmon Hailu Reda, Zeenat Ishmail, Charity Chisoro, Ronald Munatsi, and so many more. To all my evidence comrades—this is your salute!

Among all the AEN events, one stands out as a beacon that continues to energise my evidence journey: the Evidence 2023 Conference in Entebbe, Uganda. Whether you remember the dates as the 11th to the 15th or a little differently (some of us had a side event before the main conference!), what matters is the spirit that brought us together.

A gathering of evidence changemakers

Evidence 2023 was more than just a conference. It was a vibrant convergence of minds and hearts from across Africa and beyond, all united by a single mission: to strengthen evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in Africa. The diversity was inspiring, with representatives from IDEV/African Development Bank, CLEAR-AA’s Taku Chirau , PhD, Dr Candice (Carrels) Morkel, DEval (Sarah Desiree Klier; Juan Carlos Sanz Vaca), government officials from Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and wonderful colleagues from WFP Office of Evaluation: Grace Igweta; Michala Sedlackova Assankpon; Nikki Zimmerman in person, and Natalia Acosta (in absentia). The air buzzed with anticipation as we prepared to share, learn, and collaborate.

Moments of connection and learning

Before the main conference, a special side event set the tone. We rolled up our sleeves for a hands-on workshop, reimagining national evaluation ecosystems. This exercise revealed the intricate web of connections between actors and highlighted the collective power of collaboration. We zoomed out to the broader landscape of evaluation capacity development (ECD) in Africa, mapping actors, identifying opportunities, and sharing lessons learned. Here, the seed for INCE, a national evaluation capacities index, was planted in Africa. More on INCE here: https://inceval.org/homepage

Innovation and Inspiration: A highlight for many was the presentation of the INCE initiative from Latin America, which sparked lively conversations about building a similar network in Africa. Kudos to Michala Sedlackova Assankpon, Sarah Desiree Klier (in person), and Natalia Acosta (in absentia) for their inspiration. But this conference was not just about good intentions; concrete steps were set in motion:

  • The Pan-African ECD Secretariat was established, with monthly meetings planned, to pave the way for INCE.

Sowing the seeds of change: Evidence 2023 was an event for collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision for stronger, more connected evidence ecosystems. Despite the challenges faced, the seed was sown, and today, INCE is being piloted in countries like Congo, Tanzania and Benin, etc, and some participating governments have embarked on country-led evaluations. Evidence 2025 is knocking at the door. Unmissable!

To all who have been, and are, part of this journey, thank you for your courage, your ideas, and your unwavering commitment to evidence. The bridges we are building today will support generations of evidence champions to come.

Let’s keep building evidence ecosystems together.

About the author: Jean Providence Nzabonimpa is a seasoned development and humanitarian expert with proven experience in evidence-informed programming, research, and evaluation. With various professional certifications, Jean Providence excels in designing, implementing, and evaluating impactful interventions. His mixed-methods research and evaluation expertise spans social, behavioural, educational, and public health, with advanced proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data analysis using tools like SPSS, STATA, Atlas.ti, and MAXQDA. Jean Providence’s work focuses on generating evidence for use in decision-making. He also serves as a peer reviewer, leveraging his expertise to enhance research and programme quality for learning.

Acknowledgements: The author(s) is solely responsible for the content of this article, including all errors or omissions; acknowledgements do not imply endorsement of the content. The author is grateful to Charity Chisoro for her guidance in preparing and finalising this article, as well as her editorial support.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in published blog posts, as well as any errors or omissions, are the sole responsibility of the author/s and do not represent the views of the Africa Evidence Network, its secretariat, advisory or reference groups, or its funders; nor does it imply endorsement by the afore-mentioned parties or Jean Providence’s employer.

Suggested citation: Nzabonimpa JP (2025) Building bridges for evidence in Africa. Blog posting on 26 September 2025. Available at: https://africaevidencenetwork.org/building-bridges-for-evidence-in-africa/2025/09/26/