As the 11th Africa Think Tank Summit wrapped up on Friday, leaders called on think tanks to drive forward reforms in public financial management across Africa.

Held under the theme “From Taxation to Action: Bridging Policy and Implementation in Public Financial Management in Africa,” the three-day summit brought together more than 500 participants from over 40 countries.

Delegates included representatives from government, civil society, research institutions, parliaments, and international organizations.

The event was convened by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), AUDA-NEPAD, and the Government of Ethiopia, with support from strategic partners including AFLEX, PSI, and the Africa-Europe Foundation.

In her closing remarks, H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, described the summit as “a movement for accountability and action,” calling on leaders to be bold and proactive.

Mamadou Biteye, Executive Secretary of ACBF, echoed this sentiment. “Think tanks are not spectators. They are architects, translators, watchdogs, and partners,” he said, urging institutions to take the Summit Communiqué not as a document but “as a contract.”

The Summit Communiqué, read by Meseret Desta, Vice President of the African Leadership Excellence Academy (AFLEX), outlined practical recommendations to strengthen domestic resource mobilization (DRM) and improve fiscal governance.

These included using AI and digital tools for revenue forecasting and expenditure tracking, adopting citizen budgets, and building transparent and inclusive systems that engage youth and women.

The Communiqué emphasized that Africa’s transformation must be “self-financed, data-driven, inclusive, and institutionally resilient.”

It proposed scaling up capacity-building efforts and creating a continental competency framework for public financial management.

The summit also launched a new book, “Creation, Management, and Sustainability of Think Tanks in Africa,” providing a strategic guide to strengthening African policy institutions.

ACBF’s Ubora Academy introduced a new online course on “Taxing the Digital Economy” to equip professionals with relevant technical skills.

Another key milestone was the launch of the Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP), a continental knowledge-sharing hub to foster collaboration among think tanks, governments, and civil society.

In his closing statement, Biteye reminded delegates that success will be measured by implementation.

“Every tax collected with transparency builds trust. Every reform implemented with courage builds resilience. Every think tank sustained with independence builds Africa’s intellectual sovereignty,” he said.

The summit ended with a commitment to develop a Post-Summit Action Plan and publish an Africa PFM Progress Report to track reform outcomes across member states.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Bantu Gazette