AKADEMIYA2063 has appointed public policy veteran Dr Debisi Araba as its new Managing Director, effective September 15, 2025.
The Kigali-headquartered research institution said the appointment aligns with its mandate to strengthen Africa’s evidence-based policymaking systems under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 framework.
Dr Araba brings over 15 years of experience spanning agricultural resilience, sustainability, and advisory roles in continental strategy.
Leadership Shift Signals Continental Strategy Reset
AKADEMIYA2063 has appointed Dr Debisi Araba as Managing Director, effective September 15, 2025, the pan-African research organisation announced in Kigali on September 1.
The organisation stated that Dr Araba will work alongside its Executive Chairperson and Board of Trustees to advance its mission of building state-of-the-art technical capacities to support African Union (AU) Member States in achieving the goals of Agenda 2063, which focuses on economic transformation, growth, and prosperity.
The leadership change arrives at a time when African governments face mounting pressure to align food systems, climate resilience, and macroeconomic reforms with long-term continental development frameworks.
Track Record in Policy, Food Systems, Climate
Dr Araba brings more than 15 years of experience across sustainability, food security, and agricultural development.
Before his appointment, he served as a Senior Consultant at the African Development Bank (AfDB), advising on Agriculture and Food Systems. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London.
His leadership portfolio includes serving as the inaugural Managing Director of the Africa Green Revolution Forum, now known as the Africa Food Systems Forum, and as Africa Region Director at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), a CGIAR research centre.
In Nigeria, he acted as Senior Technical Adviser on Environmental Policy to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, co-authoring the National Agricultural Resilience Framework and leading partnerships to advance climate-smart agricultural strategies.
“I am honoured to begin this new chapter at the helm of AKADEMIYA2063's leadership team,”
Dr Araba said, adding that he intends to leverage home-grown expertise to drive Africa’s strategic priorities.
Dr Ousmane Badiane, Executive Chairperson of AKADEMIYA2063, described the appointment as pivotal to accelerating the organisation’s impact, citing Dr Araba’s experience in navigating Africa’s policy landscape.
Dr Araba holds a Doctorate in Environmental Policy from Imperial College London, a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, a Master’s in Clean Technology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Geography from the University of Ibadan.
Strengthening Africa’s Evidence Architecture
Founded as a pan-African non-profit research institution headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, with a regional office in Dakar, Senegal, AKADEMIYA2063 positions itself as a continental knowledge and analytics hub.
Its mandate is anchored in supporting AU Member States with data systems, analytics, and capacity development required for the effective implementation of Agenda 2063.
The organisation operates across five strategic pillars:
Strategic Area | Focus |
|---|---|
Policy Innovation | Evidence-informed reform frameworks |
Knowledge Systems | Data-driven analytical tools |
Capacity Creation & Deployment | Technical expertise across member states |
Operational Support | Policy execution advisory |
Data Management & Digital Products | Technology-enabled analytics |
In a policy environment increasingly shaped by climate risks, food insecurity, and fiscal constraints, leadership continuity in data institutions represents the key to strengthening public-sector decision-making.
The appointment reinforces AKADEMIYA2063’s positioning as a technical partner in translating continental ambitions into operational strategies.
Governance, Partnerships, Execution Discipline
AKADEMIYA2063 stated that Dr Araba will steer strategic objectives in partnership with the Board, focusing on expanding technical capacities and strengthening evidence-informed policymaking systems across AU Member States.
For policymakers and development institutions, the immediate test will lie in execution, translating research outputs into actionable frameworks that influence national agricultural strategies, climate adaptation plans, and economic transformation policies.
As Africa advances implementation milestones under Agenda 2063, institutional leadership within research and policy-support bodies remains central to ensuring that data, analytics, and mutual learning mechanisms keep pace with development demands.
Path Forward – Scaling Evidence for Agenda Delivery
AKADEMIYA2063’s leadership transition underscores a renewed emphasis on aligning technical capacity, digital analytics, and policy innovation with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 milestones.
Under Dr Araba’s stewardship, the organisation is expected to deepen partnerships, strengthen national data ecosystems, and expand policy support frameworks, positioning evidence-based decision-making as a core pillar of Africa’s long-term economic transformation.
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