How a Doctoral Researcher Used Citizen Data to Shape Policy Decisions in Africa

Juba Kafumba arrived at the 2026 Africa Evidence Summit’s technical workshop already convinced that citizen-generated data matters. He left more convinced than ever. “I’ve relied extensively on Afrobarometer data sets in my past research because they help turn raw numbers into meaningful stories that can inform evidence-based policy,” said Kafumba, a doctoral student in public policy at the University of North Carolina. “If you want to move beyond simply looking at data to truly understand what citizens are experiencing, these data sets are unmatched.”

His experience captured the spirit of the summit itself, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 23 and 24 July 2026. More than 400 researchers, scholars, policy makers, civil society organisations, and development practitioners gathered to examine how evidence can strengthen decision making across the continent. The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), and the Policy Studies Institute (PSI) convened the event together.

The technical workshop at the heart of Kafumba’s experience was led by Kamal Yakubu, Afrobarometer’s capacity-building manager for the advanced track, and Daniel Iberi, Afrobarometer’s communications coordinator for East Africa. The two walked participants through the organisation’s survey methodology, thematic and geographical scope, and online data analysis tool, offering hands-on training in how to access, interpret, and apply Afrobarometer data for research, advocacy, and development programming. The session made a practical case for how survey data rooted in citizens’ lived experiences can translate into actionable intelligence for those designing and implementing policy.

That case found a powerful echo in the summit’s keynote address. Ethiopia’s Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa, was direct: “To achieve our national goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063, we need reliable, real-time evidence. Strengthening our data systems is essential. We should actively build a culture in which data are routinely collected, transparently shared, and effectively used to guide policy from start to finish.” Her remarks reframed data collection as something foundational to development, not a technical afterthought.

Meanwhile, Carson Christiano, executive director of CEGA, placed the summit in its longer arc. “Each year, this summit brings together a diverse community spanning disciplines, sectors, and continents to explore how high-quality research in Africa can inform policy making across the continent,” he said. “Together, we have the opportunity to build a more connected, evidence-informed ecosystem, equal to the complexity of the challenges ahead.”

Afrobarometer’s presence extended well beyond the workshop room. The organisation presented a poster drawing on survey findings about climate change, showing how Africans’ lived experiences and perceptions can feed directly into climate research, adaptation planning, and policy responses. The presentation reinforced a consistent theme across the summit: when citizen attitudes are systematically collected and analysed, they become evidence, not just opinion.

The 2026 gathering marked the 14th edition of an annual summit designed to elevate African scholarship and embed research into real decision making. These meetings bring together African scholars, policy makers, and practitioners to discuss the latest work on economic development and poverty alleviation, and to explore new ways of ensuring that evidence shapes policy rather than merely decorating it. The question the summit leaves open is whether the culture Fitsum Assefa called for, one of routine collection, transparent sharing, and genuine use, can take hold fast enough to meet the scale of the challenges ahead.