Afrique Center for Statistics, Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Research (ACSAIR)
ACSAIR was founded on the principle that Africans should have full ownership of their future and be the prime innovators of solutions to the continent’s challenges. As the fast-growing Pan-African research center, our mission is to advance the generation, translation and application of African-led research, data systems and innovation solutions that reinforce institutional effectiveness, strengthen capacity and produce measurable development impact across the continent.
We aim to reimagine how innovation, data and technology can work for Africa hence bringing about development not just on a continental level, but also at regional and national levels. This means focusing on local contexts, from indigenous languages and cultural nuances to on-the-ground development needs and ensuring that development initiatives align with Africa’s diverse cultures, values and realities. ACSAIR addresses the current gaps in the ecosystem: the underrepresentation of African perspectives in research, social-economical, environmental and technological development initiatives and innovation where solutions are too often developed elsewhere for Africa rather than by Africa.
Our Vision & Mission
Our Vision is an Africa in which trusted statistics, ethical artificial intelligence and practical innovation drive inclusive, evidence-based and sustainable development.
Our Mission is to generate, translate and apply African-led research, data systems and innovation solutions that strengthen institutions, build capacity and deliver practical development impact across the continent.
ACSAIR’s Core Values
Our core values center on:
• African ownership and relevance
• Excellence and methodological rigor
• Integrity, ethics and accountability
• Inclusion and equity
• Collaboration and partnership
• Practical impact and learning
We pursue innovation not as an end in itself, but as a means to address socio-economic, environmental and governance challenges facing African societies. We measure success by the impact our work has on the ground. We also know that we cannot work in isolation. Thus, partnership is embedded in our DNA. We convene experts across disciplines and borders and we work closely with government ministries, universities, civil society and international agencies to ensure our initiatives are well-rounded and sustainable.
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.
Social Impact, Inclusion & Sustainability
ACSAIR is not only about innovation and data – at our heart, we are about social impact. This focus area ensures that everything we do is driven by a commitment to improve lives, promote equity and support sustainable development. We intentionally apply our research, innovation and our work to advance social justice, transparency and good governance. A key question we ask in every project is: How will this benefit the most vulnerable or underserved groups? We actively seek out projects and solutions that can empower marginalized communities, whether that’s through giving them access to information, programs, resources, tools to increase their income or platforms to have their voices heard.
A major thrust for impact is directing resources to areas with direct human benefit. We pursue research, innovations and technology solutions for livelihoods and well-being and these include tools to improve climate resilience, solutions for food security, approaches to enhance financial inclusion and interventions for better health outcomes. In education, we look at how innovation can widen access and quality. In infrastructure and urban planning, data can help ensure developments meet community needs sustainably. Through all these, we keep a lens on environmental sustainability, promoting green technology and ensuring our solutions themselves do not have a harmful ecological footprint.
Inclusion is another cornerstone. We work proactively to close digital divides and capacity gaps. This means whenever we deploy a solution, we consider those who might be left out. We also target special initiatives to reduce the gender gap in all spheres and programs and we also highlight inclusive innovation in a financial sense – advocating for funding and support to flow to local innovators and poorer communities, not only to well-established institutions. ACSAIR often acts as an advocate, joining our voice with others to call for more investment in African R&D, more representation of Africans in global technological, research and innovative forums and fairer policies that ensure Africa benefits from its data and innovations.
Crucially, we are champions of ethical innovation and fair data use. In an era where data can be misused or technology can inadvertently harm, we raise awareness and advise on safeguards. We promote innovation that respects human dignity and rights and technology that does not exploit users or communities. We support frameworks and campaigns to ensure that communities have control over their own data and that emerging innovations do not reinforce inequality but rather help to reduce it. This ethical standpoint is communicated through our training and policy work, as well as practiced in our projects.
Our approach to social impact also means aligning with broader development agendas. We explicitly aim to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whether it’s SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through agricultural projects, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) via healthtech or SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions) through data transparency initiatives. We also align with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions “the Africa we want.” Through tying our work to these frameworks, we ensure that ACSAIR’s efforts add up to a larger cumulative impact for the continent.