On May 27, 2025, IPA Francophone West Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre d'Études, de Documentation et de Recherches Économiques (CEDRES), a research center of Université Thomas Sankara, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This MoU is part of IPA’s ongoing commitment to strengthening collaboration with academic institutions across the region and falls under the umbrella of the Research Collaboration Initiative (RCI).

The RCI aims to ensure that locally grounded, policy-relevant evidence is generated in partnership with researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and that this evidence directly informs decision-making. This MoU supports that goal by promoting more inclusive development research networks, and fostering long-term, equitable collaborations with local researchers and institutions.

The MoU outlines several areas of collaboration, including joint project development, co-creation of policy-relevant research, academic engagement through scientific seminars, and sharing research findings with both policy and academic audiences. It also lays the groundwork for joint policy engagement and strategic partnerships focused on training in impact evaluation. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Youmanli Ouoba, Executive Director of CEDRES, shared his appreciation and outlook: “This partnership with IPA is a major opportunity for CEDRES to deepen its research impact and strengthen its ties with actors working at the intersection of evidence and public policy. We are grateful for this collaboration and confident in the value it will bring to our researchers and national development efforts.”

Following his remarks, Dr Maud Akissi Amon-Tanoh, IPA’s Country Director for Francophone West Africa, added: “This MoU reflects our deep commitment to working hand-in-hand with academic institutions in the region to strengthen the production and use of high-quality evidence and we are delighted to formalize this collaboration.”

Since the launch of the RCI in 2021, this is the third MoU signed by IPA Francophone West Africa with local universities and research institutions, following earlier partnerships with Université Norbert Zongo in Burkina Faso and the African School of Economics in Côte d’Ivoire, all part of its long-term strategy to develop strong, sustainable research ecosystems in the region.