Development policy from an African perspective

As Pierre assumes his directorial role at AGI, we sat down with him to discuss his work, scholarly interests, and his vision for the initiative.

ESTHER LEE ROSEN (ELR): Prior to your role as director of AGI, your research has focused on evidence-based policies that support economic growth in Africa. Can you share some of the issues that your research explored and why these issues matter for the region and beyond?

PIERRE NGUIMKEU (PN): My research explores key development challenges in Africa, such as access to credit among microenterprises, informal labor markets, agricultural productivity, and industrial policy. In approaching these topics, I prioritize the use of rigorous evidence and innovative econometric methodologies in evaluating the effectiveness of policy interventions in the presence of possibly poor-quality data. These methods allow me to highlight and quantify which policies can drive job creation and entrepreneurship, promote industrial growth, and stimulate innovation despite institutional weaknesses, while emphasizing the need for context-specific solutions and endogenous political institutions. Some examples include my work on leveraging digital technologies to boost productivity in the informal sector in Africa, the role of manufacturing in driving structural change in Africa, the cost of credit constraints on micro-enterprises, the impact of technology adoption on agricultural productivity in Africa, and why a sound business environment matters for firms, among others. These issues matter because they shape Africa’s path to structural transformation, agency, and resilience—outcomes that are crucial not only for Africa’s economic prosperity, but also for global stability, given Africa’s huge resource wealth, growing population, and increasing role on the global stage.

ELR: What made you interested in joining Brookings—and leading the Africa Growth Initiative—and what are your strategic priorities?

PN: I was interested in joining Brookings and leading the Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) for several reasons. First, Brookings’ global platform allows for disseminating academic research to directly contribute to policy debates and decisionmaking on Africa’s development, amplifying the impact and relevance of my work by reaching a wider audience of policymakers, leaders of the private sector, and development agencies. As the head of AGI, the preeminent U.S. center on African development policy from an African perspective, I am excited to lead the initiative in designing and promoting evidence-based solutions that can be implemented at scale across African countries, while contributing to shaping a positive narrative about Africa’s future and its impactful engagements with the United States and the global community.

As director of AGI, my strategic priorities are structured around three pillars: finance for development, jobs and structural transformation, and regional integration and global partnerships. These pillars aim to respond to Africa’s pressing development challenges while seizing the continent’s unique opportunities for self-determined growth. Each pillar integrates key themes with cross-cutting focus areas on governance and artificial intelligence and technology. The strategy is designed to generate high-impact research outputs, practical tools, and fruitful convenings that inform and contribute to sound policy across Africa and with global partners.

ELR: In the current shifting political and geopolitical dynamics, what are some opportunities and challenges you foresee—and how is AGI best positioned to tackle these head on?

PN: In today’s shifting political and geopolitical landscape, Africa faces both major opportunities and challenges. One major opportunity is stronger bargaining power, as global demand for African minerals, energy, and markets rises. Coupled with a growing population and increasing momentum for regional integration through regional economic communities and initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa is in a good position to leverage its inner strengths. However, challenges like mounting debt vulnerabilities, global pressures around decarbonization and energy transitions, and risks of being caught in great power rivalries, such as U.S.-China competition, are serious concerns.

The Brookings Africa Growth Initiative is well positioned to tackle these dynamics by providing independent, nonpartisan, and evidence-based research that centers African development priorities. Under my leadership, I intend for AGI to continue its work connecting African scholars and policymakers with global audiences, offering practical policy solutions for sustainable development, and ensuring that Africa’s voice is stronger in shaping international economic and geopolitical agendas. AGI’s unique platform, blending a wide range of expertise from resident scholars, nonresident scholars, and more than 30 think thank partners across the continent and the United States, allows for both deep analysis of emerging risks and proactive strategies to mitigate these risks and seize new opportunities.

I am eager to continue my work on development policy in Africa within the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings Global Economy and Development.