Policy Briefs

This brief contrasts the 800,000 to 1 million young Kenyans who enter the labour market each year with the 78,600 formal jobs created in 2024. It describes the crisis as both a policy and an implementation failure, citing underinvestment, poor coordination and political interference. It calls for growth that creates jobs in sectors such as agri-processing, leather, the blue economy, construction and digital services. It also proposes a national skills-to-work system with mandatory work-based learning, protections for informal and gig workers, and programmes that reach excluded youth. Read more:

This brief looks at unemployment, underemployment and precarious work among Ghana’s 15–35 year olds, who make up 38–40% of the population. It uses desk review, labour market analysis, stakeholder mapping, interviews and participatory research with young people. It traces the problem to programmes that stop when governments change, overlapping mandates, weak coordination between agencies, training that doesn’t match industry needs, and norms that exclude women and youth with disabilities. It recommends system-level reform over short-term, fragmented programmes. Read more:

More than 60% of Nigerians are under 25, and this brief finds that the labour market is not growing fast enough to absorb them. It draws on national statistics from 2014 to 2023 and fieldwork in Abuja (FCT), Kaduna and Oyo. Its findings cover the gap between labour supply and demand, “survival-driven” low-quality work, the mismatch between education and jobs, barriers for first-time job seekers, fragmented policy, and digital opportunities that are spread unequally. Read more:

This brief notes that Rwanda has one of the region’s most developed systems for governing youth employment, yet more than 92% of employed youth still work informally. Youth labour force participation has risen to about 55% and NEET has fallen to around 32%, but work has not got better. It recommends investing where jobs are already growing, such as transport, ICT, manufacturing and agro-processing. It also recommends training led by employer needs (apprenticeships, dual training), social protection built on EjoHeza, and inclusion of young mothers, refugee youth and youth with disabilities. Read more:

Environ 400 000 jeunes arrivent chaque année sur le marché du travail sénégalais. Cette note soutient que le problème tient à un décalage systémique entre cette croissance démographique et la capacité de l’économie à créer des emplois de qualité, et non à des lacunes en compétences ou à des attitudes. Elle s’appuie sur 50 entretiens avec des informateurs clés, 6 groupes de discussion et des données sur le marché du travail, et s’inscrit dans le cadre de la Vision Sénégal 2050. Elle présente huit constats thématiques, à commencer par une croissance qui crée peu d’emplois. Elle met aussi en lumière […]

About 400,000 young people enter Senegal’s labour market each year. This brief argues that the problem is a systemic mismatch between that growth and the economy’s capacity to create quality jobs, not skills gaps or attitudes. It draws on 50 key informant interviews, 6 focus groups and labour market data, and is framed around Vision Sénégal 2050. It presents eight thematic findings, starting with growth that creates few jobs, alongside institutional fragmentation and political incentives that favour short-term visibility over structural reform. Read More:

Uganda has low official unemployment (about 3%), but this brief shows that 94.5% of employed youth work informally, nearly two-thirds are underemployed, and NEET is above 18%. It describes Uganda as stuck in a cycle of low-quality work. It recommends shifting effort from training towards creating demand for labour in agro-processing, light manufacturing, tourism and digital services. It also recommends merging overlapping schemes (the Youth Livelihood Programme, Emyooga, and the Parish Development Model youth window) and judging programmes by NEET, informality and earnings rather than job counts. Read more:

Africa is already experiencing the health impacts of climate change, from heat waves and flooding to air pollution and climate-sensitive diseases, yet health remains insufficiently integrated into climate policies and financing systems. This policy brief examines climate-health governance frameworks and financing mechanisms across Africa, highlighting that only 35% of African countries have climate change policies that prioritise health. It finds that although regional and continental frameworks provide important entry points for action, national-level implementation remains weak, underfunded and poorly coordinated. The brief calls for stronger inter-ministerial governance structures, dedicated climate-health strategies, improved technical capacity, and innovative financing approaches, including green […]

Malawi’s health system is vital for human development and economic growth but faces persistent financing challenges. To advance universal health coverage, the Government developed the Health Sector Strategic Plan III (2023–2030), which focuses on mobilizing domestic resources, improving spending efficiency, and strengthening preventive and primary care through a sustainable financing system. To inform these reforms, the Ministry of Health, with AFIDEP and WHO, conducted a National Health Accounts study (2019/20–2021/22) that provides evidence on funding sources, management, and expenditure, helping policymakers address gaps and improve equity and sustainability in health financing. Read the policy brief:

This policy brief highlights gaps in Malawi’s policies and practices for addressing vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in irrigation schemes. Findings show that most agricultural policies lack provisions for VBD control, budgets for irrigation projects rarely include disease management, and there is limited ownership and coordination between the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture. Researchers also face few opportunities to feed evidence into policymaking. The brief outlines recommendations to strengthen collaboration, resource allocation, technical working groups, and evidence use in policy decisions. Click here to download policy brief

Kenya’s macroeconomic policies significantly influence women’s economic empowerment and integrated measures are vital for women empowerment and economic participation. Various interventions have been implemented to advance gender-responsive macroeconomic policies, reduce gender disparities and promote women’s economic empowerment. Nevertheless, efforts should be made to address the gaps that hinder women’s full participation in economic growth and development. This policy brief highlights recommendations to be implemented for continued women economic empowerment. Download the Policy brief to read more:

This policy brief presents findings from a systematic review of interventions to manage vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in irrigation farming across sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights evidence of reduced vector densities, disease risk, and prevalence through approaches such as integrated vector management (IVM), larval source management, indoor residual spraying, long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, mollusciciding, biological control, and mass drug administration. The brief underscores the feasibility of integrating these interventions into irrigation schemes even post-construction, demonstrating both health and agricultural productivity benefits for surrounding communities. Download: