Three Reasons for the African Research Gap – And How to Close It

Sub-Saharan Africa’s research outputs lag other regions, with just 2 percent of peer-reviewed publications. Here are three key reasons – and some solutions.

Africa’s population is on the rise—it is expected that sub-Saharan Africa’s population share will more than double in the next 50 years—from 13 percent of the world’s population in 2017 to 25 percent in 2067. Despite this, sub-Saharan Africa’s research outputs lag far behind other regions, with just 2 percent of peer-reviewed publications coming from authors in the region. Ironically, this is true even in the field of development economics, where the lives and livelihoods of populations in sub-Saharan countries are at stake.

Why does this gap exist?

Read More: Three Reasons for the African Research Gap – And How to Close It – NextBillion