Experts Discuss Role of Non-Profit Sector in African Countries in Addis Ababa
The HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector, together with the World Peoples Assembly, organised the roundtable ‘NGOs in African Countries. The Invisible Force of Change.’ The event took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as part of the World Public Summit: Africa. Experts discussed the role of the non-profit sector in the development of African countries, as well as contemporary approaches to assessing its contribution to social development.
The roundtable brought together John Aggrey, Director General of the Ghana–Russia Centre for Trade and Relations; Yonas Wolde Semayat, Founder and Vice President of the Ethiopian Professional Associations Alliance (EPAA); Irina Mersiyanova, Director of the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector; and Anar Izden, Executive Director of the Qorqyt Public Foundation for International Cooperation and Development.
The discussion was moderated by Viacheslav Ivanov, Chief Expert at the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector. He outlined the key challenges facing participants: ‘Today, one of the key challenges remains the limited availability of reliable knowledge about the non-profit sector. Many countries lack comprehensive statistical data that would enable an objective assessment of the scale of NGO activity, their economic contribution, their impact on addressing social challenges, and their role in achieving national development goals.’
The participants emphasised the growing importance of the non-profit sector in Africa's social development. Civil society organisations are actively engaged in a wide range of areas—from education and healthcare to environmental protection, women's empowerment, and youth development—thereby making a significant contribution to improving people's quality of life across the continent.
John Aggrey stressed that NGOs in Africa often operate where government mechanisms have limited reach, making them key drivers of social transformation.
The roundtable experts paid particular attention to the development of a modern statistical framework for recording the activities of non-profit organisations, establishing common approaches to monitoring the state of civil society, and creating tools to assess NGO effectiveness.
Irina Mersiyanova highlighted the importance of robust evidence: ‘Without systematic data, it is impossible to develop effective policies to support civil society. We need to speak the language of measurable indicators.’
The participants also reviewed the experience of the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector in depth. Since 2006, the centre has been conducting regular monitoring of the state of civil society in Russia. According to the experts, adapting its most effective research practices to the specific contexts of African countries could provide the basis for a robust methodology for studying civil society across the African continent.
‘International cooperation in this field not only enables the exchange of experience but also helps develop universal approaches that take regional specificities into account,’ Anar Izden concluded.
The roundtable participants agreed to establish an international working group to develop a methodology for studying the activities of non-profit organisations in African countries, drawing on Russian experience while taking into account the national characteristics of states across the continent.
The roundtable's recommendations will be presented at the Second World Public Assembly ‘New World: Values That Unite,’ which will take place in Moscow in September 2026. They will contribute to the international dialogue on the development of civil society institutions and public diplomacy.
The World Public Summit: Africa ‘New World: Africa in Shaping a Common Future’ took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 29–30, 2026. The event brought together 2,000 delegates from more than 50 countries. It was organised by the World Peoples Assembly and the Global Black Centre. The summit convened leaders in public diplomacy, representatives of government authorities, international and regional organisations, universities, the expert community, the business sector, youth organisations, the media, and the cultural sphere. The programme featured two plenary sessions and 11 thematic sessions, as well as exhibitions, concerts, agreement-signing ceremonies, and a range of other events.
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