Eight EfD Research Centres embedded in leading African universities β coordinated through a single continental platform headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda.
View Our African NetworkWhile EfD Centres focus on national-level research, EfD African Hub serves as a continental coordination platform, ensuring cross-country collaboration, engagement with regional institutions, and alignment with continental policy processes.
EfD African Hub works closely with the EfD Global Hub at the University of Gothenburg, which provides strategic leadership and global knowledge synthesis. Together, the Global and African Hubs ensure EfD research contributes to both regional and continental policy discussions.
In addition to the eight established Centres, EfD African Hub actively develops partnerships with institutions in countries without existing EfD Centres, expanding the reach and impact of the network beyond current borders.
Each Centre is embedded within a leading national university, ensuring local ownership, proximity to policy, and the ability to engage directly with government and development partners.
Addis Ababa University
Ethiopia is one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, facing significant environmental pressures including deforestation, land degradation, and climate vulnerability across diverse agro-ecological zones.
Research themes include climate adaptation, land use and tenure policy, watershed management, energy access for rural communities, and green economy implementation under Ethiopia's Climate-Resilient Green Economy Strategy.
University of Ghana / GIMPA
Ghana's economy is deeply tied to natural resources β from cocoa and timber to offshore oil and coastal fisheries β making environmental governance and the green transition central policy priorities.
Research focuses on fisheries management, artisanal and small-scale mining, forest governance, renewable energy policy, and the environmental impacts of urban growth and industrial development.
University of Nairobi
Kenya is at the forefront of Africa's green growth agenda, with ambitious renewable energy targets and growing pressure on water, land, and wildlife resources from a rapidly expanding population and economy.
Active research covers water resource economics and tariff design, agricultural policy, wildlife conservation finance, clean energy, and climate resilience for pastoral and smallholder farming communities.
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
As Africa's largest economy, Nigeria faces acute environmental challenges including oil pollution, deforestation in the Niger Delta, energy poverty, and the need to diversify its economy away from fossil fuel dependence.
Research covers energy access and poverty, environmental health impacts of pollution, sustainable aquaculture, climate change adaptation in agriculture, and the governance of Nigeria's fisheries and forest resources.
University of Rwanda
Rwanda is a regional leader in green economy policy, having implemented ambitious environmental regulations, positioned itself as a hub for climate finance, and integrated sustainability into its national development planning.
Research includes biodiversity and ecosystem valuation, Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) programme implementation, climate finance mechanisms, sustainable land use governance, and agroforestry for food security and climate resilience.
University of Cape Town (UCT)
South Africa is home to one of Africa's most established environmental economics research units. The country's complex development challenges β energy transition, inequality, biodiversity, and water security β make it a critical node in the EfD African Hub network.
Current research focuses on carbon tax design and implementation, energy transition policy, air quality regulation, biodiversity conservation economics, natural capital accounting, and the distributional effects of environmental policy.
University of Dar es Salaam
Tanzania's vast natural endowment β from the Serengeti to the Indian Ocean coast and the Great Lakes β places it at the centre of debates about conservation economics, tourism, marine resource management, and sustainable agriculture.
Active research covers fisheries economics, coastal and marine resource management, wildlife tourism policy, indigenous crops and food security, climate-smart agriculture, and youth innovation in the green economy.
Makerere University
Uganda's development trajectory is shaped by its rich natural resource base β including Lake Victoria fisheries, tropical forest reserves, wetlands, and a growing oil sector β alongside rapid population growth and agricultural transformation.
Research focuses on natural capital accounting (MONCAP model), wetland and ecosystem economics, agricultural land use, fisheries governance, climate vulnerability and household welfare, and the environmental dimensions of Uganda's oil and energy sectors.
The EfD Global Hub at the University of Gothenburg provides strategic leadership, coordination, and global knowledge synthesis across all 12 EfD Centres worldwide. Visit the Global Hub to explore the full EfD network, research database, and international programs.
Visit EfD Global βWhether you're a government ministry, development agency, or research institution, EfD African Hub offers a direct pathway to pan-African expertise and cross-country collaboration.
Get In Touch