In this article:
- We share firsthand reflections from participants at the Covenant University workshop, highlighting how practical training can transform both mindset and funding outcomes.
- We explore why grant writing capacity is not just a technical skill, but a strategic institutional capability that shapes who leads research in Africa.
- We examine how structural funding gaps affect African universities – and why strengthening proposal development is key to shifting global research dynamics.
The Covenant University Workshop
In December 2024, researchers from across The Education Collaborative network gathered at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, for a two-day Grant Writing Capacity Building Workshop. The event was a practical response to persistent funding challenges and reflected the Collaborative’s commitment to strengthening institutional research capacity and advancing Africa-led knowledge production.
The workshop formed part of a wider Grant-writing Capacity-Building Project spearheaded by Covenant University in collaboration with The Education Collaborative’s West Africa Hub. Designed as an intensive, hands-on programme, the workshop addressed a critical gap within African higher education: the need for practical, structured support to enable researchers translate strong ideas into fundable, competitive grant proposals.
The initiative unfolded in phases: From May to August 2024, a four-part webinar series introduced more than 700 participants to grant-writing fundamentals, including understanding funder expectations, structuring proposals, and positioning research for impact.
Researchers were later enrolled in a nationally coordinated programme offered by the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE), under Nigeria’s National Universities Commission (NUC). Running from September 2 to October 18, 2024, the course provided in-depth training in developing competitive proposals. Certificates were awarded to participants who completed the requirements.
By December, the in-person workshop built on this foundation. Twenty-one researchers, from institutions across the West Africa Hub, convened for immersive, hands-on sessions. Led by experienced Covenant University scholars – Prof. Abiodun H. Adebayo, Prof. Solomon Rotimi, Prof. Evans Osabuohien, and Dr. Isaac I. Akinwumi – the workshop emphasized application over theory. Participants worked in interdisciplinary teams to draft proposals and sharpen alignment with funder priorities.
Why Grant Writing Capacity Matters in Africa
Across Africa, universities are increasingly expected to drive innovation, inform policy, and generate solutions to complex social and economic challenges. Yet limited research funding means many institutions depend heavily on external partnerships.
Data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics shows that most African countries invest well below 1 percent of GDP in research and development – far below the 2-3% common in OECD countries (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021). At the policy level, the African Union’s Science, Technologyand Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024) calls for countries to allocate at least 1 percent of GDP to R&D – a benchmark many countries have yet to meet (African Union Commission, 2014).
Limited domestic investment has direct implications for universities. Analysis by the World Bank and Elsevier demonstrates that research systems across Sub-Saharan Africa rely heavily on external funding and international collaboration to sustain scientific output (World Bank & Elsevier, 2014). Subsequent World Bank evaluations reinforce how institutional research infrastructure and financing gaps constrain long-term development (World Bank, 2019).
While global partnerships enable important collaboration, structural inequities persist. Research on knowledge production and higher education transformation in Africa shows that limited proposal development support, weak research management systems, and modest funding histories can reinforce power asymmetries in international grant making (Cloete, Maassen, & Bailey, 2015; Langa et al., 2017).
Universities in research-intensive systems typically benefit from dedicated research development offices and professional grant managers. Familiarity with donor requirements, compliance frameworks, and budgeting standards reduces perceived risk for funders and increases success rates – making grant writing not simply a technical skill but an institutional capability and strategic lever for strengthening Africa-led research.
Philanthropic organizations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York have recognized this dynamic, investing in long-term research ecosystem strengthening across African universities through fellowships, doctoral training, and institutional development initiatives spanning multiple decades (Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2023). The Mastercard Foundation’s Scholars Program combines access with academic excellence and research capacity building across partner universities (Mastercard Foundation, 2022). The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports research partnerships through programs like Grand Challenges Africa, which funds African-led innovations in health, agriculture, and development (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2021).
Against this backdrop, the Covenant University workshop was both timely and strategic.
Participant Contributions: Applying the Learning
Learning to Think Beyond Discipline
Nicholas Jnr. Arthur Baidoo, a sign language interpreter with the Office of International Programs at Ashesi University, describes the workshop as a turning point. Although he had been involved in research before, he admits, “I had never won a research grant, even though I had applied.” The shift, he explains, was conceptual. One key lesson was the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork.
“Usually, when you think about collaborating, you think of people in your own field,” he explained. “But the workshop made me realize that it doesn’t always work that way. Depending on the project, you might need people from very different backgrounds – health, education, even language or communication.” Learning to justify each team member’s role, he added, helped him understand “what funders are actually looking for when they read a proposal.”
He also points to the focus on alignment as a turning point. “You may see a problem in a certain way as a researcher, but that doesn’t automatically mean it matches what the funder wants.”
Since the workshop, he approaches ideas with greater clarity and a stronger focus on relevance and impact. “It’s changed how I think about research problems, how I write, and how I explain what I want to do.”
From Ideas to Impact
Dr. Chinwe Peace Igiri, a faculty member in information and communication technology and an active researcher across multiple institutions, describes the workshop at Covenant University as a turning point in her grant writing journey. Although she had submitted proposals before, she recalls the experience as an eye-opener that fundamentally reshaped her approach and mindset.
One insight stood out most vividly for her: “Every problem has a solution, but not every solution addresses a real problem.” This perspective has since guided the way she evaluates research ideas, helping her differentiate between technically impressive concepts and proposals that respond to clearly articulated, high-impact needs.
Dr. Igiri also highlighted the workshop’s emphasis on resilience. “Participants were encouraged to view rejection as part of the grant writing process, to seek reviewer feedback, and to continuously refine proposals.”
Inspired by this, she has applied for multiple grants, advanced to later stages of review, and adopted a more strategic approach to building her funding track record beginning with smaller grants and collaborating with experienced principal investigators on larger applications.
Equally impactful was the collaborative structure of the workshop. “Working in teams exposed us to new research networks, several of which have extended beyond the workshop,” she notes.
Through these connections, Dr. Igiri has strengthened cross-institutional collaborations and contributed to capacity-building initiatives that have since reached hundreds of African scholars.
Institutional and Network Level Impact
Beyond individual skill development, the workshop demonstrated how targeted training can strengthen institutional research capacity. Participants returned to their universities better equipped to support departmental grant writing efforts, contribute to research offices, and mentor colleagues.
For The Education Collaborative network, such initiatives support broader ambitions around impact driven research, graduate outcomes, and institutional transformation.
By equipping researchers with practical tools and confidence, the workshop contributes to a growing ecosystem in which African universities are better positioned to compete for funding, lead collaborative research agendas, and produce knowledge that addresses local and regional priorities.
Looking Ahead
The Covenant University Grant Writing Capacity Building Workshop highlights the importance of sustained investment in researcher development. Participants consistently emphasized the value of practical, immersive training and expressed interest in seeing similar programmes offered more frequently.
As The Education Collaborative continues to expand its capacity building initiatives, grant writing workshops remain a high leverage intervention, going beyond individual professional development to strengthen institutional research capacity and advance Africa led knowledge production.
References
African Union Commission. (2014). Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA‑2024). Addis Ababa: African Union.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2021). Grand Challenges Africa: African-led innovations for global health and development. https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/grant-opportunities/grand-challenges-africa
Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2023). Strengthening African Higher Education and Research. New York: Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Cloete, N., Maassen, P., & Bailey, T. (2015). Knowledge Production and Contradictory Functions in African Higher Education. Cape Town: African Minds.
Langa, M., Wangenge-Ouma, G., Jungblut, J., & Cloete, N. (2017). Twenty years of higher education transformation in Africa. Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 15(1), 1–27
Mastercard Foundation. (2022). Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: Building a network of African leaders. https://mastercardfdn.org/all/scholars/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2021). Research and development expenditure (% of GDP): SDG 9.5 indicator. Montreal: UNESCO.
Wellcome Trust. (2020). African Institutions Initiative: Strengthening research capacity across Africa. https://wellcome.org
World Bank. (2019). Higher education for development: An evaluation of the World Bank Group’s support. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Bank & Elsevier. (2014). A decade of development in sub‑Saharan African science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Washington, DC: World Bank.