The African Economics Research & Development Center was founded on a simple conviction: that Africa's economic future must be shaped by African economic knowledge. For over a decade we have been producing that knowledge, teaching it, and putting it to work.
Africa's economies are among the most dynamic and complex in the world — yet the research, training, and advisory infrastructure needed to navigate them has historically been under-resourced and underconnected. AERDC exists to close that gap.
We work at the intersection of rigorous economic analysis and practical development — producing research that informs policy, designing training that builds capacity, and offering advisory services that translate knowledge into decisions. Our work spans 14 countries and five regions of the continent.
We believe that the most important thing we can do is not solve a problem once, but create the conditions in which African institutions can solve it themselves — which is why every engagement, whether a research report, a training programme, or a consultancy project, is designed to leave knowledge behind.
"African economic transformation will not be imported. It will be learned, researched, and decided here."
We apply the highest standards of economic analysis to African contexts — not as a footnote to global economics, but as a discipline in its own right.
Research that stays on a shelf changes nothing. We connect every piece of work to a decision, a policy, a programme, or a practitioner who can act on it.
We invest in people and institutions, not just outputs. Every training programme, every partnership is designed to leave capacity behind when we leave.
The best African economic knowledge is produced collectively. We share our work openly and actively build research partnerships across the continent and internationally.
Dr. Nzabirinda Etienne
Founder & Lead Economist
Economist and academic based in Kigali, Rwanda. Specialises in development economics, health economics, climate change economics, and political economy. Author of 6 published books on Amazon and 5 open-access texts on ResearchGate, with peer-reviewed publications in leading international journals.
ARD Research Team
Research Fellows
A network of economists and development researchers supporting ARD's programme of peer-reviewed research, policy briefs, and applied consultancy across African economies.
ARD Training Unit
Training & Capacity Building
Delivers structured training programmes in economics and economic policy for government professionals, development practitioners, and graduate students across Africa.
Interested in working with or partnering with AERDC? We welcome research collaborations, training partnerships, and consultancy enquiries.