ACET was established to provide high-quality policy analysis and advisory services to African governments with the objective of achieving long-term growth and transformation of African economies. ACET

• applies an African perspective to policy analysis and research with country specific applications and advice
• focuses on the “how-to” of policy reforms, drawing on practical experiences and best practices from within and outside Africa
• accesses and influences African policy makers at the highest levels
• attracts highly qualified African talent from the Diaspora and strengthening African institutions
• aims to become a leading voice that provides an African perspective in global discussions affecting Africa.

Its mission is to promote high-quality policy analysis and advisory services, assisting African governments in achieving long-term growth and transformation of African economies. ACET’s unique approach to fulfilling this mission involves:

• Engaging a new, integrated method which combines policy research, advisory services and institution strengthening to address practical development questions and challenges
• Championing a unique African perspective and greater ownership of the development agenda
• Creating an unrivalled network of world class international experts and preeminent African professionals
• Harnessing African talent from within the continent and from its Diaspora

African economies must be transformed in order to reach sustainable growth and poverty reduction goals. Today, African economies still depend heavily on low-productivity agriculture for the bulk of rural employment, possess few linkages with manufacturing, and export a narrow range of agricultural commodities and natural resources. Such realities have made African countries vulnerable, especially to agricultural and commodity price fluctuations and other external economic shocks. Incremental poverty reduction strategies backed by more aid will only perpetuate existing economic structures. For most African countries a bold and comprehensive strategy for achieving economic transformation and sustained long-term growth must address the following issues and challenges:

• Modernizing the agricultural sector, increasing its productivity and expanding its linkages to other sectors
• Diversifying exports and improving trade competitiveness, including an appropriate degree of openness to external competition and private investment
• Integrating national, sub-regional, and regional markets, reducing transaction costs, and increasing market size
• Reforming the financial system, mobilizing and channeling savings to productive enterprises on terms that encourage productive investment
• Promoting technological learning in the productive sectors through knowledge and innovation systems
• Investing in human capital and the widespread sharing of growth and access to social services
• Improving the quality of the environment, resource management, and urban development to support sustainable increases in living standards

The six major themes around which ACET’s research agenda is focused cut across these inter-related issues and challenges.

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