The African Think Tank Platform (ATTP) will host evidence-based dialogue and collaboration sessions at the African Think Tank Summit (ATTS) 2026 to be held 28 – 30 October in Cotonou, Benin.
The 2026 Africa Think Tank Summit (ATTS) will be convened under the auspices of the Republic of Benin, with the theme “From Energy Access to Economic Transformation: Practical Policy Pathways for Power Sector Viability, Growth and Reform in Africa.”
The ATTP sessions will explore policy solutions for Africa power sector reforms, regional integration, productive energy use, and inclusive energy transitions, to generate actionable recommendations to advance Africa's long-term development goals.
Specifically, the first ATTP-moderated session will focus on ‘Energy Data, Evidence, and Policy Use: Tools for Think Tanks and Researchers’ with an aim to strengthen African think tank researchers’ abilities to locate, interpret, and communicate energy data in ways that directly support policy advice, while bridging the gap between data availability and policy utility.
Titled, “From Evidence to Energy Access: Emerging Findings from the ATTP Project Research Consortia,” ATTP’s second session will provide a platform for think tanks under the project to share with policymakers emerging findings from their research, creating a structured feedback loop, demonstrating ATTP’s investment value in African think tanks and policy research.
ATTP supported Think Tanks will present preliminary findings on energy, economic transformation and governance. Among the presenters in this session are Alex Benkenstein, of the South Africa Institute (SAIIA), Amos Onyango Okello of the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), Lawrence Adu Asamoah of the (ACET) and Mrs Yasmine Fahim Economic Research Forum (ERF).
The expected outcomes of the ATTP sessions include participants building hands-on skills, producing policy-relevant evidence briefs, well curated Africa energy data resource guide.
The summit will bring together policymakers, think tanks, researchers, development partners, private sector leaders, and regional institutions to advance practical solutions that position energy as a catalyst for Africa's economic transformation.
The Summit will explore how reliable, affordable and financially sustainable energy systems can accelerate industrialisation, job creation, digital innovation and regional integration. Moving beyond energy access, discussions will focus on practical reforms in energy governance that strengthen power sector viability, attract investment and drive economic growth.
