The 14th Africa Evidence Summit, held in Addis Ababa on 23–24 July 2026, offered an important space to consider this question. Hosted by the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), in partnership with the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), the Summit brought together more than 400 researchers, policymakers, civil society organisations and development practitioners around the theme “Powering Policy with Innovative, Inclusive, Transparent Data.”
The summit forced us to take a moment to question what it would take for evidence to truly respond to Africa’s most pressing challenges, and what stood out was not simply the breadth of research presented, but the recurring conversation about what happens between evidence generation and decision-making. Across the agenda, there was a clear recognition that high-quality evidence alone is not enough. Evidence needs to be relevant to policy questions, accessible to decision-makers, connected to local realities and available when decisions are being made. That is at the heart of what we mean by responsive African evidence.
From Data to Decisions
The Summit’s programme moved across some of the continent’s most urgent development questions, from climate change, conflict and economic vulnerability to education, agriculture, forced displacement, food security, financial inclusion, gender, health and digital transformation.
The opening keynote on climate change, conflict and the risk of economic collapse in Africa was particularly timely. Discussions highlighted the importance of political commitment, investment in climate adaptation, agriculture, infrastructure and social protection, while also emphasising that evidence should inform rather than dictate policy. Responsive evidence is not about finding a single piece of research and expecting it to provide a ready-made answer. It is about bringing together different forms of knowledge to help decision-makers understand a problem, assess options, navigate uncertainty and adapt as circumstances change.
For AEN, this reinforces the importance of thinking about the full evidence journey from identifying the questions that matter, to generating and synthesising evidence, communicating it effectively, supporting its use, and learning from what happens afterwards.
The Missing Link: Relationships
Perhaps one of the strongest messages emerging from the Summit was that evidence use is fundamentally relational.
The Policy Studies Institute panel explicitly asked why policymakers do not always use evidence. One answer was that research may not align with policy priorities or reach policymakers during critical decision-making windows. The discussion highlighted co-creation as an important response, bringing government, researchers, universities and NGOs together so that evidence is more relevant, trusted and usable. This is a powerful reminder that evidence-informed decision-making is not simply a technical exercise. It requires relationships, trust, communication and sustained engagement.
Another important dimension of responsiveness is inclusion. The Summit’s emphasis on innovative, inclusive and transparent data was brought to life through the use of citizen-generated data. Afrobarometer‘s technical workshop demonstrated how public-attitude data can help researchers and decision-makers understand what citizens are experiencing and use those insights for research, advocacy and development programming. This matters because responsive evidence must do more than describe populations, it must listen to them.
When citizens, communities, practitioners and policymakers have opportunities to shape the questions being asked and the evidence being generated, the resulting knowledge can become more grounded, legitimate and useful.
AI: A New Frontier for Responsive Evidence
The AI for Global Development sessions explored how Artificial Intelligence could support healthcare, strengthen links between research and policymaking, and help governments anticipate challenges such as climate risks. Speakers also emphasised the importance of local talent, responsible innovation and stronger African AI ecosystems. CEGA highlighted its own work using AI to synthesise academic evidence and make research more accessible to policymakers.
For Africa’s evidence ecosystem, AI could potentially make vast bodies of research easier to find, synthesise and translate into usable insights. But responsiveness will depend on whose data are represented, whose knowledge is included, what assumptions are embedded in AI systems, and who has the skills and infrastructure to use them. This makes responsible AI governance and evidence literacy increasingly important parts of the evidence journey.
What Does this Mean for Championing Responsive Evidence?
The Africa Evidence Summit provides several opportunities for the wider African evidence ecosystem to build on, namely:
- We need to strengthen the connections between evidence producers and evidence users. Co-creation should become less of an occasional approach and more of a normal part of how evidence questions are identified, research is designed and findings are communicated.
- We need to broaden our understanding of what counts as useful evidence. Rigorous research is essential, but so too are citizen perspectives, practitioner knowledge, administrative data, lived experience and other forms of knowledge that can help decision-makers understand complex realities.
- We need to invest in evidence translation and use. Making evidence available is not the same as making it usable. Decision-makers need evidence in forms, formats and moments that fit their realities.
- We need to measure success by more than outputs. Publications, datasets, conferences and policy briefs matter, but so do changed decisions, improved implementation, stronger institutions and better outcomes for people and communities.
A Shared Opportunity for Africa’s Evidence Ecosystem
The Africa Evidence Summit demonstrated that there is no shortage of high-quality research, innovative methods or talented African researchers. The opportunity now is to strengthen the ecosystem around them so that evidence can travel further—from research institutions to policy spaces, from data to decisions, and from decisions to impact.
For AEN, responsive evidence is ultimately about making the evidence ecosystem work better for the people and decisions it is intended to serve. It means listening to Africa’s questions, valuing African knowledge, connecting people across the evidence journey, and creating stronger pathways between evidence and action.
The Summit’s message was clear: Africa does not simply need more evidence. We need evidence that responds. That is where the real opportunity lies, not only in generating better evidence, but in building an African evidence ecosystem capable of turning knowledge into meaningful change.
Lenah Kitenge
Acknowledgements: The author(s) are 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 Jiyaad Armien 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 aforementioned parties.
