2025 Development Impact Summit

On August 26-27, 2025, Development Impact West Africa (DIWA) will host the 2025 Development Impact Summit at the Fiesta Royale Hotel, in Accra, Ghana. DIWA is a partnership between the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and the Centre for Effective Global Action (CEGA) based at the University of California, Berkeley. It aims to strengthen evaluation capacity and support evidence generation and use in West Africa.

The theme for this year’s Summit is “Advancing Evidence-Informed Policymaking for Sustainable Development in West Africa.” The Summit will bring together policymakers, researchers, evaluators, and development practitioners for critical dialogue on the role of evidence in shaping policy and driving sustainable development in the region. 

CONFERENCE MATERIALS | POLICY BRIEF, BIOS, AGENDA

Program

Day 1

Introduction of the Chairman: Nana Akosua Afrakomah Botsio, Senior Assistant Registrar, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)

Welcome Address: Professor Samuel Bonsu, Rector, GIMPA

Introduction to DIWA and Summit: Professor Charles Teye Amoatey, DIWA Program Director

Remarks by Partners: Amy Shipow, Program Manager, Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), University of California – Berkeley; Ousseynou Ngom, Program Officer, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Address by Guest Speakers: Honorable Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Member of Parliament for Wa East/Chair of Agriculture and Cocoa Committee; Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and Senior Advisor to the President on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 

Keynote Speech by Special Guest of Honour: Nana Oye Bampoe, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the President

Closing Remarks: Professor Philip Duku Osei, former Vice Chancellor, SD Dombo University

Solar Lantern Program: Sensitization and Willingness to Pay by Rural Households in Ghana: Hamdiyah Alhassan, Isabelle Cohen, Ishaque Mahama, Isaac Doku, Emmanuel Kwame Anibra, Oyeteju Odufuwa

Resource-Based Conflict for Herders and Farmers in Nigeria: Oluwabunmi Adejumo, Daniel Posner, Uchenna Efobi, Jiyoung Kim

Impact of Environmental, Health, and Safety Sensitization on Liquefied Petroleum Gas Usage in Ghana: Genesis Bhenda Kollie, Isaac Doku, Isabelle Cohen, Hamdiyah Alhassan, Mohammed Nuhu Mujtaba, 

Evidence to Policy Translation in Africa Panel: Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, Director General, National Development Planning Commission (NDPC); Omar Seidu, Head of Social Statistics/Coordinator SDGs, Ghana Statistical Service; Mohammed Hardi Nyagsi, Director of Research, Parliament of Ghana; Professor Edward Asiedu, University of Ghana Business School; Dr. Rasheed Draman, Executive Director, African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA)

Towards an Inclusive Research Ecosystem: Amy Shipow, CEGA, UC Berkeley

Impact of Free Maternal Health Policy on Family Planning and Infant and Child Feeding Practices in Ghana: Grace Alenoma, Alan Griffith, Adefunke Ekine, Hamdiyah Alhassan, Oyeteju Odufuwa

Closing Remarks: Richard Otoo, Research and Evaluations Manager, DIWA

Day 2

Impact Evaluation of the Ghanaian Undergraduate Pre-Engineering Program: Peace Amoatey, Fanny Quagrainie, Evaewero French, Abena Obiri-Yeboah

Togo Data Lab: Sean Luna McAdams, Program Manager, UC Berkeley; Farooq Sanni, Data Scientist, Togo Data Lab

The Short- and Long-Term Effects of Early Childhood Education in Benin: Damase E. Sossou, Oswald Koussihouede

Institutionalisation and Sustainable Funding for Evaluation in Africa Panel: Carlos Akligo, Executive Director, African Evaluation Association (AfREA); Edem Messa-Gavo, Senior Expert on Impact Measurement, African Capacity Building Foundation; Kwabena Agyei Boakye, Executive Director, Development Impact Hub; Awal Mohammed, Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana); Dede Badu Addo, President, Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Forum

Impact of Irrigation on Improved Productivity and Market Value for Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from One Village One Dam Policy in Ghana: Richard Otoo, Research and Evaluations Manager, DIWA

ECOWAS Free Movement: Samuel Botchway, Research Fellow, DIWA; Julia Duodu, Project Consultant, DIWA

Experiences from DIWA Visiting Fellows: Isaac Doku, Grace Abban, Kwadwo Arhin and Oluwabunmi Adejumo, Richard Boso

Highlights of the Summit included:

• Thought-provoking keynote addresses
• Engaging policy dialogues & panel discussions
• Presentation of findings from DIWA’s Phase 2 studies conducted across West Africa
• Networking and partnership opportunities

Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide funding for travel, accommodation, and related expenses. For enquiries, you can contact the organizers via diwa@gimpa.edu.gh.

Let’s move from evidence to action for West Africa’s sustainable development!