VREF is pleased to announce the release of its new paper,” Supporting the next generation of transport scholars in Sub-Saharan Africa: insights, challenges, and opportunities”.

This timely publication, authored by a collaborative team – Gail Jennings, Ibraheem Forson Abdul-Azeez,  Namatirai Cheure, Frank Edward, Mary Wanyua Mwangi, Jethron Ayumbah Akallah, Rasheed Olawale Azeez, Paschalin Basil, Wofai Ewa, Prince Guma, Clare Adongo Okidi, George Ukam, and Elizabeth Kanini Wamuchiru – provides a critical examination of the professional landscape for young researchers in urban transport, mobility, and access across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Key Findings and Institutional Imperatives

The paper, a synthesis of findings from approximately 120 participating young scholars, identifies systemic constraints to research potential, including:

• Resource Limitations: Scarce research funding and dependence on established structures.
• Institutional Gaps: Inadequate research environments, weak mentorship, and bureaucratic hurdles.
• Equity Challenges: Significant gendered inequities and underrepresentation in higher education and leadership roles.

The study concludes with a series of concrete recommendations directed toward academic institutions, governments, and international partners. These interventions focus on expanding dedicated starter grants, institutionalizing structured mentorship programmes, advancing open-access publishing, and establishing clear diversity and inclusion policies to foster a more resilient academic ecosystem.

Commissioned as part of VREF’s Mobility & Access in African Cities (MAC) programme, this paper serves as a valuable resource and a call for action to secure the research and development future of the continent.

VREF encourages university administrators, policymakers, and senior scholars to engage with these findings to inform systematic interventions.