A new continental platform bringing together Africa’s leading economic thinkers has been launched to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and help governments navigate an increasingly complex global economic environment.
The African Chief Economists Network (ACE-Network) was unveiled as one of the key outcomes of the 2026 African Economic Conference (AEC) held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The initiative comes at a time when African countries are grappling with mounting geopolitical tensions, global trade fragmentation, climate-related shocks, rising debt burdens, and a rapidly evolving international financial architecture.
The three-day conference, organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), attracted ministers, central bank officials, academics, development practitioners, private-sector executives and researchers from across the continent and beyond.
Held under the theme, “Strengthening Africa’s Geopolitical Agency and Trade Resilience in a Multipolar World,” the event drew more than 4,000 virtual participants, highlighting growing interest in developing home-grown solutions to Africa’s economic challenges.
Speaking on behalf of AfDB President Dr Sidi Ould Tah, the bank’s Senior Vice-President, Mrs Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, described the launch of the ACE-Network as a major milestone in strengthening Africa’s capacity to develop practical and evidence-based policy solutions.
According to her, the level of participation from stakeholders across different sectors underscored the relevance of the conference theme to Africa’s future development.
She urged members of the network to ensure that research findings are translated into policies capable of improving the lives of people across the continent.
“This is a big responsibility on your shoulders, and we expect to see clear results in the form of very effective decisions and, therefore, actions that really move the needle for the men and women of this beautiful continent of ours,” she said.
The new network is expected to serve as an informal platform for chief economists and senior policy advisers to exchange ideas, coordinate research efforts, identify emerging risks and jointly develop policy recommendations for governments.
Membership will include chief economists from development finance institutions and multilateral organisations, chief economic advisers to presidents and prime ministers, deputy central bank governors responsible for economic policy, heads of think tanks, deans of economics faculties and senior private-sector economists.
Rather than operating as a formal institution, the ACE-Network will function as a collaborative platform, convening annually alongside the African Economic Conference while also holding quarterly virtual meetings and emergency sessions during major economic disruptions.
Presenting the strategic vision for the initiative, Prof Kevin Urama, Chief Economist and Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management at the AfDB, said Africa must strengthen its knowledge systems if it is to influence the emerging global economic order.
He noted that the continent has a limited opportunity to shape reforms of the international financial architecture and stressed that improved coordination among African economists would enable policymakers to make better-informed decisions during periods of uncertainty.
Among its priorities, the network will focus on strengthening Africa’s knowledge sovereignty, increasing investment in research and innovation, improving policy coordination, enhancing early-warning systems and ensuring that economic analysis reflects African realities.
Prof Urama also called for greater investment in research institutions, data systems and knowledge infrastructure to complement ongoing investments in physical infrastructure across the continent.
For his part, Dr Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, described the network as “a unified powerhouse of African intellectuals” capable of narrowing the gap between academic research and government policymaking.
He said the initiative could support efforts to mobilise domestic resources, advance implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), address climate and fiscal challenges and harness Africa’s demographic potential for sustainable growth.
“The Africa Chief Economists Network will be an engine room that designs creative solutions necessary for Africa to attain the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” Mr Gilpin stated.
Also speaking, Dr Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said increasingly interconnected global crises require stronger collective economic intelligence across the continent.
“No country, regardless of its size or resources, can effectively navigate this environment alone,” she said, adding that the network’s success would be measured by its impact on policymaking, resilience and inclusive economic growth.
Representing the OECD, Ms Ida McDonnell, Head of the Development Research Unit, emphasised the need for integrated approaches to trade, debt, climate finance, industrialisation and investment.
She noted that the ACE-Network would help reduce duplication of efforts while strengthening Africa’s voice in global policy discussions.
Throughout the conference, delegates discussed strategies to enhance Africa’s geopolitical influence, strengthen trade resilience, mobilise domestic resources, expand regional value chains, accelerate industrialisation and attract investment in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Participants agreed that while Africa possesses significant advantages—including a youthful population, abundant renewable energy resources, critical minerals, expanding digital markets and the AfCFTA—stronger institutions, better policy coordination and high-quality economic analysis will be crucial to transforming these assets into sustained economic growth and development.
Source: businesspostonline
