A recap of the AEN webinar on how the Manifesto has been used to strengthen evidence-informed decision-making in Africa, and what more can be done.
“The Manifesto is not just a document; it is a call to action for systems change, collaboration, and centering African voices in evidence production and use.” This powerful reflection from Dr. Patrick Okwen (Effective Basic Services – eBASE Africa) captured the heart of the conversation, a reminder that the AEN Manifesto is not meant to sit on shelves. It is a living, breathing framework that calls us to transform how we think about and practice evidence use across Africa.
This was the spirit of the 30 July 2025 webinar, held in prelude to Evidence 2025, the upcoming pan-African gathering in Benin that will convene researchers, policymakers, and practitioners under the theme “Engage, Understand, Impact.” Five years after the Manifesto’s launch, this session created a safe space for producers, intermediaries, and users of evidence to reflect on how they have harnessed its principles, celebrate what has worked, confront persistent challenges, and reimagine its potential for the future.
What is the AEN Manifesto?
The AEN Manifesto on Capacity Development for Evidence-Informed Decision-Making in Africa is more than a policy document. It is the product of a collective journey by members of the Africa Evidence Network (AEN), begun during EVIDENCE2020 Online and refined through years of consultation, webinars, and public engagement.
Initially drafted in 2020 by a working group of AEN members, the Manifesto was launched in March 2021 as a living document designed to evolve with the needs of Africa’s evidence ecosystem. Its second version, now in use for four years, reflects extensive insights gathered through initiatives like the Evidence Capacities webinar series, contributions during #AfricaEvidenceWeek, engagements at EVIDENCE2023, and a final consolidation webinar in October 2024.
At its core, the Manifesto is a public declaration of shared vision and commitment to strengthening evidence capacities in Africa. It advances an African-led approach to capacity development, one that emphasises co-creation, equity, contextual sensitivity, and collaboration. It serves as both a framework for action and a provocation, challenging mainstream approaches to capacity building and urging African evidence actors to unleash, nurture, and retain capacity across the ecosystem, from producers to users to intermediaries.
(You can read the full Manifesto here.)
Why Does This Matter Now?
The Manifesto has not only shaped conversations about capacity development but has also set the tone for how the African evidence ecosystem approaches collaboration, equity, and impact. Five years on, its principles remain deeply relevant, yet the real test lies in how these ideas are being lived out in practice.
This was precisely the purpose of the July webinar: to take stock of how the Manifesto has been harnessed so far, to confront the gaps that remain, and to chart bold new directions ahead of Evidence 2025. What does it look like when the Manifesto moves from paper to practice? Where has it made the most significant difference? And most importantly, how do we collectively push its vision further?
From Words to Action
Launched in 2020, the Manifesto represented a bold shift, from traditional notions of “capacity building” to a vision of capacity sharing, co-creation, and equity. As Dr. Jennifer Opare-Kumi (University of Oxford) noted, “Language is political. The Manifesto reframes capacity development by moving away from deficit thinking, toward recognising and enhancing what already exists.”
For Dr. Harsha Dayal (South Africa’s Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation), this reframing has been transformative: “In government, we cannot afford to wait years for evidence. The Manifesto has pushed us to value multiple forms of knowledge, scientific, experiential, and local, and bring them together in real time to make informed decisions.”
Celebrating Successes, Naming Challenges
The discussion highlighted inspiring stories of the Manifesto in action. Patrick Okwen shared how eBASE Africa has embedded its principles into initiatives like their Evidence Tori Dey, which turns community storytelling into actionable evidence and vice versa, and the use of AI-powered tools to adapt global evidence for African contexts.
Yet, panellists also acknowledged that the journey is far from over. Persistent challenges include:
- Power imbalances in global research partnerships and funding models.
- Mismatched timelines between research outputs and the urgent needs of policymakers.
- A narrow definition of “good evidence” that undervalues community-generated and lived experience.
As Leandro Echt (International Network for Advancing Science and Policy) emphasised, “The Manifesto’s principles travel across contexts because they speak to universal needs, equity, contextual sensitivity, and meaningful participation. But translating these principles into practice requires humility and sustained collaboration.”
Looking Ahead to Evidence 2025
The conversation wasn’t only about looking back; it was a call to reimagine the future. Panellists proposed concrete ways to harness the Manifesto more fully:
- Document and showcase use cases: Share stories of how organisations are “living the Manifesto” in their work.
- Develop national capacity plans: Map evidence ecosystems to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for targeted development.
- Create spaces for deeper dialogue: Go beyond “what works” to explore how and why interventions succeed, bridging theory and practice.
A Call to the Evidence Community
In closing, Siziwe Ngcwabe, AEN’s Director and Co-Chair, issued a challenge to all participants: “This is a living document. It inspires us, but it also calls us to act, to document our progress, share our stories, and build stronger, more inclusive evidence ecosystems across Africa.”
As we approach Evidence 2025, the question becomes urgent: how do we ensure the Manifesto lives not in our words, but in our classrooms, clinics, council halls, and communities?
The conversation has begun. The next step is ours.
About the author: Elanga Andrea, hailing from Yaoundé, Cameroon, is a multilingual individual fluent in French, English, and Bulu. As the Communications Officer at Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, she plays a pivotal role in improving the livelihoods of underserved populations in Cameroon, Niger, Chad, and Nigeria through innovation and best practices.
Her expertise extends beyond communication, reaching global evidence networks. She actively participates in the Cochrane Collaboration, the Joanna Briggs Collaboration, and the Africa Evidence Network (AEN).
Elanga Andrea has been a passionate advocate for World Evidence-Based Health Care Day since its inception and has contributed to developing the AEN Capacities Community of Practice.
Acknowledgements: The author 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.
Suggested citation: Elanga A (2025) Harnessing the Potential of the AEN Manifesto: Lessons, Challenges, and Next Steps. Blog posting on 25 August 2025. Available at: https://africaevidencenetwork.org/harnessing-the-potential-of-the-aen-manifesto-lessons-challenges-and-next-steps/2025/08/25/
[…] you are interested in this topic, review the presentation, read the blog post, or watch the […]