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‘Think tanks aid development’

Business
Countries which have a high number of think tanks had more development as they help in capacity-building, an expert with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has said.

Countries which have a high number of think tanks had more development as they help in capacity-building, an expert with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has said.

BY VICTORIA MTOMBA

This comes as the 2015 Global Go to Tanks index report released yesterday showed that the largest number of think tanks in the world were in the United States with 1 835.

China and the United Kingdom had 435 and 288 respectively. Sub-Saharan Africa has 615 think tanks.

ACBF knowledge management expert and coordinator of the African Think Tank Network Barassau Diawara said according to the report, Kenya’s think tanks increased to 53 in 2015 from 23 in 2014.

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He said Zimbabwe in 2015 had 26 think tanks compared to 24 in 2014, Ethiopia’s think tanks almost doubled to 25 from 13 in 2014. “Think tanks help in building capacity and the design implementation monitoring and evaluation of policies programmes and projects at country level. They also provide policy research analysis and advice to countries,” he said.

Speaking at the launch, Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis Research Unit executive director Gibson Chigumira said in Africa think tanks were supported by governments.

The ACBF has helped in the establishment of 41 think tanks that have become the first point of call for policy research products and technical advisory services by the key stakeholders — public, private, non-governmental organisations, media and development partners.

Through think tanks and policy units, ACBF has supported the formulation and implementation of strategic national policies, the overall aim being to ensure economic prosperity, political stability and social justice for all citizens.