In 2021, a bold question emerged among African education thinkers: What if African researchers set the agenda? What if research across the continent was locally grounded, well-funded, and capable of transforming learning, youth opportunities, and community outcomes?

By 2023, that momentum had crystallized into the Enhancing Education Research in Africa (EERA) project, led by ESSA and Southern Hemisphere. Drawing together voices from across the continent, the consultations identified innovative and practical ways to revitalize the African education research agenda, mobilizing local funding, strengthening institutions, and ensuring research informed real-world decisions. Research would no longer sit on shelves; it would shape policy, investment, and opportunity.

In May 2025, Kenya demonstrated what this vision could look like in practice through a first-of-its-kind inaugural workshop held in Limuru, Kenya. Researchers, government, funders, universities, and diverse education partners came together to co-create a Kenyan-led Research Agenda grounded in the eight EERA recommendations, translating ambition into action. Kenya became a proof of concept: a country shaping its educational future using its own evidence. From this momentum, HERI Africa was born.