COMPLETED

22-26

JUNE 2026

E2A 2026 SUCCESS

2026 Evidence to Action Conference

THEME:

Reimagining the Evidence-Informed Policy and Decision-Making Ecosystem in Africa

Thank you to all our speakers, partners, and attendees for making this year's conference an incredible success. Explore the highlights and recaps below.

ISSER Conference Hall,
Accra, Ghana

View Recap See Highlights

E2A 2026

About the Conference

The International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED), in conjunction with the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and other partners, organized the 9^th Evidence to Action Conference and Exhibition in Ghana. Held at the ISSER auditorium, University of Ghana, from June 22^nd to 26^th, 2026, the event featured two days of pre-conference side events followed by a three-day main conference and exhibition.

The conference built on the growing momentum across Africa to reclaim and reshape the evidence-to-action ecosystem, addressing the disconnect between external agendas and lived African realities.

E2A 2026 successfully documented, elevated, and scaled African-led practices, deepening learning across contexts and positioning Africa as a global leader in evidence-informed policymaking.

Meet Our Esteemed Conference Contributors

Rt. Honorable Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin

Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana

Parliament of Ghana

Honorable Julius Debrah

Office of the President, Ghana

Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta

Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia

National Assembly of The Gambia

H.E. Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o

Governor, Kisumu County, Kenya

‍Hon. Isaac Mwaura, CBS

Government Spokesperson of the Republic of Kenya

Spokesperson of the Republic of Kenya

Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development at the University of Ghana

University of Ghana

Prof. Robert Darko Osei

Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana

University of Ghana

Hon. Jaoko Oburu Odinga

Special Advisor to the President of Kenya

Caroline Fiennes

Director, Giving Evidence

Giving Evidence, Cambridge University

Dr. Julius Muia

Chairman, Board of Directors, International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED)

Patron of Greening Mua Environmental Initiative (GMEI)

H.E. Mohamed Béavogui

Executive Board Chair of the African Capacity Building Foundation

Board Member International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED)

Ms. Sabine Desezka

Coordinator, Research Impact Investment

Wageningen University and Research

Dr. Rasheed Draman

Executive Director

African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA)

Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu

Government Statistician, Ghana Statistic Services

Government of Ghana

Professor Jane Ambuko

Professor Jane Ambuko

Director of Research and Training at the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and Professor of Horticulture at the University of Nairobi

Hon. Jaoko Oburu Odinga

Special Advisor to the President of Kenya

Dr. Jared Ichwara

Director General

Economic Planning at the State Department for Economic Planning under Kenya’s National Treasury

Prof Ama de-Graft Aikins

professor of social psychology at the Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana and a visiting professor at the Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Dr. Rose Omari

Chief Research Scientist and the Deputy Director

Science and Technology Policy Institute and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-STEPRI)

Ousseynou Ngom

Program Officer, Gender Equity and Governance

Hewlett Foundation

Prof Fadel Ndiame

Executive Director

Partnership for African Social & Governance Research (PASGR)

Prof. Howard White

Senior Research Associate, and co-founder, The Research and Evaluation Centre (REC)

The Research and Evaluation Centre (REC)

Dr. Joseph Asunka

Chief Executive Officer

Afrobarometer, Ghana

image of a tech conference (for a space tech)

Opening Address: Hon. Bernard Ahiafor

ISSER Auditorium

Africa generates more evidence than it acts on. Ghana's Deputy Speaker made the case for why parliaments — not just researchers must own the evidence-to-policy journey.

image of a tech conference (for a space tech)

Deep-Dive Labs: Evidence in the Real World

From Somalia's M&E systems to Ethiopia's women-led farms, five labs unpacked what actually works and why trust, timing, and local ownership matter more than perfect data.

Data in action: Jamie Patel

image of university students at a welcome week fair

What Must Change for an Africa-Led Evidence Ecosystem?

Exhibition Space

Eighty voices. One urgent question. Researchers, ministers, and parliamentarians mapped the structural shifts Africa needs to stop depending on donors and start owning its evidence future.

Five days. 320 voices. One shared conviction — Africa's future must be built on evidence it owns, generates, and acts on

image of networking event (for a hr tech)

image of networking event (for a hr tech)

image of university students at a welcome week fair

image of team discussion (for a hr tech)

image of team discussion (for a hr tech)

image of students at a university's welcome orientation