Who we are
APRI – Africa Policy Research Institute is an independent, nonpartisan think tank working on the policy questions that shape Africa's place in the world. Through rigorous research and expert analysis, we strengthen the hands of African governments in their partnerships, wherever the terms of those partnerships are set.
With registered offices in Berlin, Germany, and Abuja, Nigeria, and research hubs in Africa and beyond. Our platform connects African policymakers, businesses, civil society and research communities with partners around the world.
Our research addresses the policy issues that matter most for African countries, producing analysis that supports African positions in dealings with external partners. We work to insert African perspectives into the debates that are shaping the continent’s future – even when African governments are not formally at the table.
Our network of researchers and experts, drawn from across the continent and beyond, is the power behind APRI. This deep expertise allows us to present and broker African expert perspectives where they are too often missing.
Our vision
A future where African thought leadership is central to global decision-making, and where Africa is strategically positioned within the global landscape to drive its transformative future.
Our mission
We aim to be a catalyst towards that future: to bridge Africa and the world by driving impactful dialogue and action supported by evidence-based analysis.
Where we stand – and where we are heading
When APRI launched in Berlin in 2021, it was the city's only Africa-focused think tank, established to bring African insight to German and European policymaking.
That remit has widened as the ground has shifted. The donor-recipient model is breaking down, and what replaces it is being negotiated now, across more partners and more regions than at any point in a generation.
APRI has anticipated and adapted to these shifts, growing into a platform that takes an "Africa in the world" view of the questions facing the continent.
The terms on which Africa engages with the world are more open now than they have been in a long time: open to revision, or to a complete reset. To make the most of this opportunity, we aim to establish APRI as a truly global organisation, working throughout Africa and worldwide, wherever those terms are being set.
How we work
Our broad mission is expressed through five programmes, exploring the most urgent questions facing Africa: how the continent navigates global competition, shapes its economies and societies, and governs the green and climate transitions on its own terms.
As global powers compete for partnerships with African states, we equip governments to enter those negotiations better informed, better coordinated and better able to set the terms.
Our Programmes
Economy & Society
We ask who is able to shape economic and social change in Africa, and under what constraints - grounding today's debates in the history and structures that produced them.
Learn moreJust Green Technology Transition
We work to strengthen African control over how green technologies are developed, adopted and governed, so the transition builds local capability rather than new dependencies.
Learn moreClimate Transitions
We help African countries navigate climate and energy transitions in ways that reflect local realities, development priorities and a fast-changing geopolitical landscape.
Learn moreGeopolitics & Geoeconomics
We work directly with the individuals and institutions that influence decision-making processes – from governments to regional institutions, particularly ECOWAS and continental bodies such as the AU Commission.
Learn moreMinerals & Development
As demand for Africa's minerals intensifies, we examine how they can drive industrialisation and structural transformation rather than repeat extractive patterns of the past.
Learn moreExecutive Office
We lead APRI’s engagement with key partners and set our strategic, operational and management direction, while remaining actively involved in global policy debates.
Learn moreHow we reach out
We match our publishing formats and outreach channels to the depth of analysis a question requires and the audience it needs to reach – from rigorous reports to short, accessible ‘takeaways’ and in-person convenings.
Our Partners
