CALL FOR PAPERS - 6TH AFRICAN GOVERNANCE SEMINAR

6^TH AFRICAN GOVERNANCE SEMINAR

CALL FOR PAPERS

Submission of abstracts due date: 04 August 2025

Submission of full draft papers due date: 05 September 2025

1. Introduction

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Continental Secretariat, a specialised institution of the African Union (AU), invites African experts, scholars, and practitioners to submit abstracts for consideration. We are inviting submissions from:

1. Doctoral candidates,
2. Post-doctoral researchers,
3. Policy research fellows, and
4. Governance experts and practitioners on the theme of “Securing Africa’s Financial Future through Effective Economic Governance and Management”.

Selected papers will be presented by the authors at the 6^th African Governance Seminar Series (AGOSS), to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 11 to 12 September 2025. Papers that meet academic and editorial standards will be published.

The African Governance Seminar Series is an initiative of the APRM that seeks to critically assess mainstream governance ideologies and policy frameworks about Africa’s unique political economy and development context. 

The African Governance Seminar Series is a multi-stakeholder platform designed to facilitate dialogue, debate, and analysis of governance developments and trends across Africa. The series brings together governance experts, practitioners, business leaders, and academics from universities, higher learning institutions, centres of excellence, and schools of government throughout Africa. Seminar themes include democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, socio-economic development, and state resilience, all within the framework of the AU Constitutive Act, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the AU Agenda 2063.

The seminar’s core objective is to generate and disseminate knowledge on innovative approaches to governance theory and practice, reviewing emerging literature and assessing trends through the consolidation and analysis of reports from within and outside the continent. Participants become part of a distinguished network of African governance specialists who interact via an online platform and through events across the continent.

2. Background

Established by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 2003, the APRM is the African Union Member States’ voluntary self-assessment and peer review mechanism aimed at promoting good governance. AU Member States that accede to the APRM commit to its review processes and the implementation of National Programmes of Action based on review findings. The mechanism encourages the adoption of AU norms and standards to strengthen constitutionalism, policy formulation, domestication, and implementation.

To advance synergy between academia and practitioners, shaping governance discourse and best practices, the APRM promotes collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the governance ecosystem.

3. The Seminar

AGOSS was created as a collaborative platform to engage multiple stakeholders, including academics, practitioners, and non-state actors from both public and private sectors, in dialogue on governance in Africa. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to align academic discourse with real-world governance challenges, thereby fostering a continental consensus on shared values, standards, and norms.

4. Call for Papers

The 2025 African Governance Seminar Series (AGOSS) invites original contributions from authors to address one or more of the sub-themes outlined below.

5. AGOSS 2025 Theme

5.1 Main Theme: Securing Africa’s Financial Future through Effective Economic Governance and Management

As African countries continue to deepen financial integration, reduce their reliance on external credit narratives, and strengthen domestic monetary systems, the need to assert control over the continent’s credit rating architecture has never been more urgent. Financial sovereignty is not just about access to capital; it also depends on the fairness, transparency, and accuracy of how that access is assessed and priced.

The 6^th African Governance Seminar will focus this year’s discussions on the evolving role of credit rating systems in Africa’s pursuit of financial self-determination. The event will explore the construction of creditworthiness, the entities that control the narrative, and the institutional innovations necessary to help African states reshape global perceptions of their risk and resilience.

This year's seminar invites papers and policy proposals aimed at developing a coordinated agenda for strengthening Africa’s credit rating capacity. This agenda should be anchored in robust domestic institutions, continental cooperation, and home-grown data systems. The overarching objective is to reimagine financial sovereignty through the lens of credit ratings, focusing not only on how African countries are assessed but also on their ability to control that assessment.

• Sub-Themes

Sub-theme One: The Africa Credit Rating Agency andthe Role and Impact of International Credit Rating Agencies on Africa’s Financial Autonomy

This sub-theme delves into the influence of international credit rating agencies (CRAs) on Africa’s borrowing costs, investor confidence, and policy sovereignty. Contributors are invited to critically examine the methodologies, biases, and market consequences of these ratings. The emphasis will be on exploring how African countries can reduce their dependence on external CRAs by building a home-grown credit rating institution, strengthening national creditworthiness data, and advocating for more transparent, inclusive global credit assessment frameworks.

Sub-theme Two: Building Resilient Local Credit Systems and Currency Independence

This sub-theme seeks contributions on how to strengthen local financial systems to build trust in domestic debt markets. Key areas of focus include the development of independent central banks, stable and credible monetary policies, and robust sovereign credit data infrastructures. Papers should explore how factors like currency volatility, credit risk premiums, and institutional weaknesses affect local credit ratings, while also proposing strategies to mitigate these risks within a sovereign framework.

Sub-theme Three: Mobilising Domestic Capital for Development

This sub-theme examines how to develop domestic capital markets that can support stronger sovereign credit ratings by addressing fiscal vulnerabilities, enhancing investor confidence, and reinforcing financial resilience. By focusing on internal sources of finance, such as pension funds, insurance reserves, diaspora remittances, and domestic bond markets. African governments can enhance debt sustainability and reduce vulnerability to external shocks or adverse credit downgrades. Key questions include how domestic revenue strategies influence sovereign ratings, the role of institutional investors in financing infrastructure, and the development of deep, liquid capital markets that appeal to both local and international investors. The sub-theme also explores how innovative financing instruments, such as green bonds, sukuk, and diaspora bonds, can contribute to development while strengthening credit metrics. Additionally, it examines the governance, regulatory, and transparency reforms necessary to establish trust and mitigate perceived credit risk in the deployment of domestic capital.

Sub-theme Four: Harnessing AfCFTA and Regional Cooperation to Support Credit Resilience and Economic Sovereignty

This sub-theme will explore the role of regional integration, especially the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in enhancing Africa’s collective credit resilience. Authors are encouraged to submit papers that examine how harmonised regulatory standards, cross-border investment protocols, and regional rating institutions can improve the continent’s financial reputation, attract long-term capital, and foster intra-African trade through improved creditworthiness.

6. Submission Process

Authors wishing to participate in the seminar are invited to submit abstracts no later than 4 August 2025

• Abstracts should be between 300 to 500 words.
• The first page of the proposed paper should include the title, authors’ names, affiliations, and full contact details.
• Authors should also submit biographies, listing previously authored and/or published papers.
• Upon submission of the abstract, authors will be notified of the outcome. If selected, they will receive further details regarding the submission process and seminar logistics.
• Full draft papers must be submitted by 5 September 2025 via e-mail in both PDF and Word format to: ags@aprm-au.org.
• The final paper submissions should be between 2,500 to 5,000 words, excluding references, figures, tables, and appendices.

Note: Papers must be original and must not have been published, accepted for publication, or under consideration for publication elsewhere.

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