Afrique Center for Statistics, Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Research (ACSAIR)
The digital interconnectedness of Africa, symbolizes ACSAIR’s mission to harness technology and data for the continent’s development. ACSAIR works to nurture a continent-wide ecosystem where statistics, innovation and AI are leveraged responsibly to improve lives, strengthen governance and secure Africa’s place in the frontiers of development, science and innovation.
Institutional Mandate
Afrique Center for Statistics, Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Research (ACSAIR) operates as a pan-African research, innovation and implementation-support institution. ACSAIR’s work combines applied research, statistical strengthening, digital and AI advisory, capacity building, knowledge management and partnership-based program delivery.
The center’s role is to help close the gap between evidence and action in areas that matter most for African development.
The institution serves public-interest actors, including governments, local authorities, civil society organizations, universities, regional bodies, foundations, communities of practice and mission-aligned private sector partners.
- – Evidence generation
- – Analytics and digital innovation
- – Institutional capacity strengthening and research-to-policy or research-to-practice translation
ACSAIR News, Statistical and Data Bulletins
Keep up to date with insights, trends, facts, figures and analysis from across the continent.
This space is designed to bring together timely perspectives and informed commentary on the issues shaping Africa today from economic development and agriculture to innovation, trade, policyand social transformation.
Our Services
ACSAIR offers a broad suite of services designed to help our stakeholders harness our unique and strategic position and capacity. We understand the needs of our stakeholders and tailor our services to deliver actionable insights and sustainable solutions.
Research studies, diagnostics, policy briefs, flagship reports, implementation reviews.
Data audits, indicator frameworks, dashboard design, M&E systems, administrative data strengthening.
AI readiness assessments, data governance, responsible AI use cases, digital strategy support
Training, fellowships, communities of practice, executive learning, technical mentoring.
Innovation labs, challenge funds, prototype testing, multi-stakeholder pilots.
Consortium implementation, advisory missions, institutional strengthening, knowledge translation.
Operational Area
ACSAIR’s operational area is the entire African continent, with a commitment to reach and benefit all regions: North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa. While our headquarters is in Kampala, Uganda, we function through a network of collaborations and on-the-ground activities in multiple countries. Being pan-African in scope means we design our programs to be scalable and adaptable across different local contexts. We recognize that Africa is incredibly diverse – culturally, linguistically, economically and in terms of technological infrastructure, so our operations are flexible and responsive to local needs.
We often establish small satellite offices or assign local coordinators in countries where we have significant activities. These local presences help us maintain close relationships with stakeholders (like government ministries or community organizations), understand on-the-ground realities and ensure smooth implementation of projects. Our operational model balances a centralized strategy with decentralized execution. The strategy and knowledge base such as research methodology, model development, training curricula are often developed at our HQ or by our core team, but the execution is done regionally in partnership with local entities.
ACSAIR’s operational areas of focus also span various development sectors, reflecting Africa’s multifaceted challenges. We operate wherever our mandate can make an impact: this includes sectors like agriculture, health, education, environmental management, finance, infrastructure and governance. For each sector, we often have a flagship project or partnership. By being present in different sectors, we also encourage cross-sector learning – success in one domain can inspire approaches in another e.g., using techniques from health data management to improve education data systems.
Another aspect of our operational area is regional and continental initiatives. ACSAIR actively engages in Africa-wide networks and programs. Our aim is to break silos between countries by fostering an Africa-wide learning community. If we develop a good practice in one country, we will seek to transfer that knowledge to others through conferences or direct technical assistance. In this way, our operational footprint isn’t just isolated activities, but a growing web of knowledge exchange spanning Africa.
We also remain mindful of working in fragile and low-resource settings. Some of our operations are in areas with limited infrastructure (like remote villages or post-conflict regions). In these areas, our approach is to start small, listen carefully and build capacity gradually. Additionally, we strive to include such communities so that the benefits of our inititatives, programs, projects and services are not just concentrated in Africa’s major cities or tech hubs. This inclusive approach is part of our mandate to leave no one behind in the digital age.