On Wednesday, 22 October 2025, the College of Business and Law (CBL) and the Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET) came together to host the inaugural Africa Research Showcase held at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus. It was one of the events organised to celebrate Black History Month. Participants joined both in person and virtually from across the continent, including attendees based in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.
Setting the Scene
“The inaugural CBL and CASET Africa Research Showcase marks a major milestone in strengthening UWE Bristol’s commitment to Africa-focused, impact-driven research,” said Professor Paschal Anosike, Director of the Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET) and Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Opening the event, Professor Anosike stressed that,
“as the continent with the world’s largest vibrant youth population, Africa’s future depends on strong entrepreneurship and digital innovation systems – it cannot create decent jobs without them. Equally vital are accountable governance, resilient healthcare systems, and effective partnerships to realise both Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This Showcase is therefore more than an academic endeavour. It is a platform for collaboration between researchers, practitioners and students across Africa and UWE. Together, guided by our RISE framework, we aim to foster and generate evidence-based knowledge and solutions that drive inclusive growth through cross-continental dialogue and partnerships.”
A Thoughtful Discussion on Research and Impact
Presenters shared fascinating snapshots of their research around the four research areas of CASET. Each presentation reflected a commitment to understanding and addressing Africa’s complex challenges and opportunities, through innovative, collaborative and interdisciplinary research.
Panel 1: International development and digital capability:
- Dr Lotta Takala-Greenish – Employee-Led/Practice-Based Learning: 4IR Technology in South Africa
Dr Takala-Greenish presented a study looking at the core of economic growth and employee-led problem solving. The study found that whilst technological advancements are reshaping learning environments, their real value lies not in the tools themselves but in their strategic application within new business contexts. There is a growing focus on deep engagement and a nuanced understanding of problems, rather than simply emphasising technology.
- Dr Ada Peter – Digital Sovereignty and Capability: Rethinking Africa’s Dependence in the Global Cyber Order
Dr Peter emphasised the need for control over technology, data, and standards that govern critical services and the economy. The continent’s reliance on foreign-owned networks, cloud services and undersea cables was highlighted, which creates vulnerabilities for intelligence harvesting, coercion or disruption.
- CEO of FirstCap (Nigeria) Ukandu Eme Ukandu – Fintechs and Digitisation as Catalysts of African Entrepreneurship
Mr Ukandu highlighted the continent’s rapidly growing, youthful population and the shift toward urbanisation and digital payments, with countries like Kenya and South Africa leading the way toward cashless economies. While e-commerce and tech start-ups are creating jobs and driving innovation, he noted that infrastructure gaps remain a key challenge to sustaining this momentum.
Panel 2: Global health and sustainability:
- Professor Peter Case – Organisational Development for Health Systems Improvement in Africa
Professor Case’s work focused on malaria control using participatory action research. Peter engages communities and stakeholders to co-design solutions, including task groups and visual tools like drawing to address challenges. Projects highlighted included the OPTiMIX Malaria Study in Cameroon and the LEAD Ubuntu Global Foundation, emphasising a locally driven, collaborative approach.
- Professor Richard Bolden – Strengthening Public Healthcare Leadership in Africa (in collaboration with the University of Pretoria)
Professor Bolden explored the challenges and opportunities for leadership, including resource constraints and corruption. He emphasised the need to reimagine leadership at a local level, drawing on African concepts such as ‘Unembeza’, a value system rooted in ethical behaviour, integrity and collective responsibility.
Panel 3: Governance and leadership:
- Dr Luke Eda – African Union and Immunity of Heads of State under International Criminal Law
Dr Eda began by stressing that if leaders who commit serious international crimes are not held accountable, wars and injustice are more likely to prevail, thus undermining economic and social development. His presentation offered a historical overview of the relationship between the International Criminal Court and the African Union. He pointed out that the row between the two institutions began around the issue of the immunity of Heads of State.
- Professor Gerhard Kemp – Transitional Justice in Africa
Professor Kemp, who also serves on the board of directors of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town (South Africa),highlighted justice’s role in transforming post-conflict societies toward peace and democracy. He emphasised the importance of African-led, context-specific solutions grounded in shared values and how media coverage of major international crimes can shape perceptions of justice and support societal healing.
Panel 4: Entrepreneurship and innovation:
- Dr Chisa Onyejekwe – Impact of Inflationary Control Measures on the Economic Rights of Women Microentrepreneurs in Nigeria
Dr Onyejekwe’s presentation focused onthe severe inequalities that result from centrally imposed inflationary control measures on marginalised demographics such as female ‘microentrepreneurs’ in Nigeria. Her research calls for gender-sensitive, context-specific policies whose potential effects on all segments of the population are properly assessed prior to implementation.
- Dr Tinkuma Edafioghor – Resilient Entrepreneurship: How Nigerian SMEs Innovate to Survive Uncertainty
Dr Edafioghor asked how do SMEs survive the uncertainty of volatile markets and shifting government policies in Nigeria? What can we learn from this? Drawing on data from 150 SMEs in Lagos, she found that resilience is people-focused and social, with both employees and CEOs contributing through strong networks, supplier relationships and market insights. - CEO of Social Enterprise Ghana Edwin Zu-Cudjoe – Social Entrepreneurship in Africa
Mr Zu-Cudjoe highlighted how social enterprises and innovators can drive both impact and economic transformation. He emphasised that the common myth, that you cannot do good and make money, is challenged by social enterprises, which show that positive social impact and financial sustainability can go hand in hand.
Building Bridges Across Borders and Looking Ahead
The CBL and CASET Africa Research Showcase exemplifies UWE Bristol’s ongoing commitment to equitable, globally engaged research partnerships. By bringing together diverse voices from across disciplines and geographies, this event helped strengthen the bridge between UK-based academics and African scholars and practitioners.
The success of this first Showcase has laid a strong foundation for future collaboration. Plans are already underway to host an even bigger and more ambitious event next year, further expanding the reach of CBL and CASET’s African research partnerships.
In his closing remarks, Professor Paschal Anosike reflected on the energy and engagement shared throughout the session:
“This event shows our shared commitment to building bridges across borders through equitable and globally engaged research. By connecting scholars and industry practitioners from Africa and UWE’s Africa research community, we are turning collaboration into action. We will sustain the momentum by building on this inaugural success with an international conference next year. Our ambition is to further strengthen equal and mutually beneficial partnerships that drive continuous dialogue and action with relevant stakeholders for sustainable transformation in Africa.”
Follow this blog for details of future CBL Africa Research conferences and events in 2026.