CSEA organized a policy dialogue on “A Scoping Study of Nigeria’s Tobacco Market and Policy Space” to share findings of the study to policymakers and the public, and also receive feedback to enrich the study. The study was commissioned by Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) and examined four dimensions of the tobacco market and policy space: i) Snapshot of Prices and Taxes on Tobacco Products; ii) Simulation of the Effect of Tax Increase on Public Health and Government Revenue; iii) Prospects for Earmarking Revenue from Taxes on Tobacco Products; and iv) Understanding Political Will for Tobacco Control in the Nigerian Context. The dialogue took place at NAF Conference Center Abuja on the 13th of December 2018.

The 9th APC meeting was co-hosted by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and the Institute Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR). The meeting provided a platform for African CSOs and think tanks to share knowledge and discuss strategies for policymakers to meaningfully harness the benefits and counter the challenges of economic migration amid demographic transition in Africa under the theme: “Migration and Demography: Shaping Migration Policies for Demographic Dividend in Africa”. The meeting also featured a panel discussion to develop an agenda on African economic migration that South Africa can advance at the UNSC. The APC meeting was hosted in Dakar, Senegal, on November 29-30, 2018.

On the occasion of the 13th African Economic Conference (AEC), African think-tanks, researchers, policy makers, public and private sector leaders as well as representatives of Regional Economic Organizations, convened to discuss "Regional and Continental Integration for Africa’s Development". The gathering comes just nine months after African leaders signed an agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s biggest free trade agreement since the establishment of the World Trade Organization, an equally important milestone. The Conference also provided a platform for discussions to help ensure that the African Continental Free Trade Area becomes an instrument for promoting Africa's inclusive development by supporting institutions and partnerships that pursue activities for African integration in all its aspects - economic social, cultural, environmental and political. The event also featured the launch of the SDG Report (AfDB, ECA, UNDP) and the African Governance Report (ECA). Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena participated in this high-level meeting which was hosted in Kigali, Rwanda from 3 to 5 December, 2018.

CSEA participated in the TTI Exchange 2018 (TTIX), held in Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel, on 12 – 14 November 2018. The event focused on the theme ‘Sustainable Organisations for Sustainable Development:  Into the Future – How Can Think Tanks Continue to Contribute to Building More Equitable and Prosperous Societies?’.

For a decade, the Think Tank Initiative (TTI) has continued to provide organizational and capacity support for 43 policy research institutions in 20 developing countries. The TTIX also brought together representatives of thinktanks, policymakers, donors, and other research-to-policy actors for a final Exchange to mark the last year of the program.

CSEA was represented by Executive Director, Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena; Senior research fellow, Dr. Adedeji Adeniran; Research fellow, Precious Chukwuemelie Akanonu; Research Associate, Joseph Ishaku and Communications/Institutional Advancement Officer, Drusilla David. The team participated in various strategic sessions, with Dr. Onyekwena as a topic Convener in the session on Think tank strategies in policy windows. Precious Akanonu facilitated CSEA’s booth at the Think Tanks Making a Difference: A Market Place to showcase CSEA research, policy engagement, and outreach.

On Think Tanks –Think Tank Initiative (OTT-TTI) Young Leaders

Joseph Ishaku and Drusilla David were among 24 Young Leaders who were selected for the first stage of the 2018 OTT-TTI Fellowship Programme. They joined other young leaders at the TTIX, to participate in the various sessions, which also provided opportunities for them to attend specific workshops and have mentorship opportunities. The OTT-TTI Fellowship is a partnership between TTI and On Think Tanks (OTT) to support the leadership capabilities among the new generation of think tankers, and to help them in becoming real agents of change.

Southern Voice Conference

CSEA also participated in the Southern Voice Conference which held subsequently, on November 15 and 16, 2018 in Bangkok. The meeting convened think tank experts from around the globe to discuss the network’s current and future agenda on policy issues related to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda. CSEA team was represented by Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena, Dr. Adedeji Adeniran and Drusilla David.

The issues of focus included cross-cutting themes for the implementation of the SDGs, relevant to all countries and policy areas for the topics: ensuring no one is left behind, dealing with synergies and trade-offs among different policy areas of the 2030 agenda, exploring the connections between global and national policies, and promoting effective development cooperation.

This conference also included a workshop among communication experts from the network to plan outreach and communication strategies for the flagship initiative “State of the SDGs“.