What The Center for Public Policy Alternatives (CPPA) does

The Center for Public Policy Alternatives (CPPA) is an independent, non-partisan policy research think tank headquartered at 46 Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. The organization conducts evidence-based research on Nigeria's socio-economic challenges across thematic areas including development economics, health policy, food and agribusiness, energy and environment, governance and political economy, and complexity science and systems thinking. Outputs are directed at federal and state government agencies, development partners, foundations, academic institutions, NGOs, and civil society groups, and are distributed through free digital publications, ebooks, policy briefs, workshops, and dissemination seminars.

CPPA's core research infrastructure combines computational sociology with traditional qualitative methods. It deploys SenseMaker (Cognitive Edge) for narrative-based qualitative data analysis and Anylogic for agent-based modeling and systems dynamics simulation, treating policy problems as multi-body dynamic interaction problems. Qualitative survey and interview data are converted into quantitative visualizations and scenario models before policy recommendations are issued. The methodology is supported by an in-house team of approximately six staff plus an international fellow network drawn from institutions including Johns Hopkins University and UK universities, structured around post-doctoral, senior, and resident fellowships of 3–12 month terms.

CPPA operates as a grant-funded non-profit with no commercial product sales. Revenue derives from research and dissemination grants provided by development partners such as the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the Ford Foundation, supplemented by commissioned policy studies and fellowship programming. A cluster of Nigerian foundations — T.Y. Danjuma, Tony Elumelu, Aspire Coronation Trust, and Bassey Andah — is also referenced as part of the funding and stakeholder ecosystem. Publications are distributed free of charge; commercial pricing is not applicable.

Name

The Center for Public Policy Alternatives (CPPA)

Legal name

The Center for Public Policy Alternatives

Website

https://cpparesearch.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Public Policy Alternatives (CPPA) is an independent, non-partisan Nigerian policy research think tank that conducts evidence-based socio-economic research using computational sociology tools (SenseMaker, Anylogic) and disseminates findings to government agencies, development partners, and academic institutions through grant-funded publications, fellowships, and stakeholder forums.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Dissemination Grants: CPPA receives grants from development partners and consortiums such as the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) for conducting and disseminating policy research. Grants are used to fund specific studies, workshops, and dissemination seminars.
2. Fellowship Programs: CPPA hosts resident and non-resident fellows (post-doctoral, senior fellows) for periods of 3 to 12 months. Fellows from Nigeria, the UK, and as far as Johns Hopkins University have participated, contributing to CPPA's research capacity and output.
3. Commissioned Policy Research: CPPA conducts commissioned research studies for government agencies, foundations, and development partners. Studies funded by organizations such as the Ford Foundation and AERC generate revenue while advancing CPPA's research agenda on Nigeria's policy challenges.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CPPA is an independent, non-partisan policy research think tank that produces evidence-based analysis on Nigeria's socio-economic challenges, including economic reform, trade, governance, and social policy. It applies computational tools — SenseMaker for narrative-based research and AnyLogic for systems dynamics modeling — to deliver rigorous analysis to government policymakers, development partners, and academic audiences through publications, policy briefs, fellowships, and stakeholder engagement programs.

Product overview

CPPA is a policy research think tank offering a unified suite of research and analysis services focused on Nigeria's socio-economic challenges. The core offering consists of policy research and analysis, supported by computational tools including SenseMaker and Anylogic for qualitative-to-quantitative conversion and systems dynamics modeling. Related offerings include published ebooks (Policies to Accelerate Industrialisation, Fragility Conflict Inclusive Growth, The Diversification Agenda), training programs and fellowships (interns, post-doctoral and senior fellows for 3-12 months), and stakeholder engagement workshops. The organization operates across thematic areas including development economics, health policy, energy and environment, food and agribusiness, and complexity science and systems thinking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Research and Analysis
• CPPA Publications (Ebooks)
• Training Programs and Fellowships
• Stakeholder Engagement and Workshops
• Computational Modeling and Narrative Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• CPPA has produced publications on industrialization and structural transformation in Africa, wealth and income inequality, and COVID-19 socioeconomic implications, disseminated through ebooks and policy briefs to policymakers, academics, and the public.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2019CPPA received a professional grant from AERC, a donor consortium supporting the largest network of African economists globally, to organize a colloquium on health and education imperatives. AERC provided dissemination grants enabling CPPA to hold stakeholder engagement seminars on wealth and income inequality in Nigeria. CPPA and AERC collaborated on outreach and policy stakeholder engagement series in 2019.
• T.Y. Danjuma FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentatives of the T.Y. Danjuma Foundation attended CPPA's dissemination seminar on the public policy implications of wealth and income inequality in Nigeria, representing the foundation's engagement with CPPA's research on health, education, and development policy.
• Bassey Andah FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentatives of the Bassey Andah Foundation participated in CPPA's stakeholder engagement seminar on wealth and income inequality, engaging with research findings on health and education as pathways to reducing poverty and inequality in Nigeria.
• The Tony Elumelu FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentatives of The Tony Elumelu Foundation attended CPPA's dissemination seminar on wealth and income inequality, engaging with CPPA's policy research on human capital investment and economic transformation in Nigeria.
• Aspire Coronation Trust FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentatives of the Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation participated in CPPA's stakeholder engagement forum focused on health, education, and wealth inequality policy implications in Nigeria.
• Nigerian Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable DiseasescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases, Distinguished Senator Chukwuka Utazi, moderated a CPPA workshop on health and education as pathways to reducing poverty and inequality in Nigeria, indicating a formal policy engagement with Nigerian legislative stakeholders.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House: Renowned international affairs think tank with a dedicated Africa programme covering governance, political economy, and development. Comparable to CPPA in producing evidence-based policy analysis for decision-makers, but with much broader international affairs mandate.
• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): Major UK-based global development think tank with extensive work on African policy, governance, and economic transformation. Comparable to CPPA in addressing poverty, inequality, and governance challenges, but at significantly larger scale and with global remit.
• Brookings Institution: Major US-based public policy organization with the Africa Growth Initiative producing research on economic development, governance, and trade. Comparable to CPPA in producing rigorous policy research targeting African policymakers, but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET): Pan-African economic policy research and advisory organization promoting structural transformation across the continent. Comparable to CPPA in its evidence-based approach to industrial policy, economic diversification, and engagement with African governments.
• International Growth Centre (IGC): FCDO-funded research organization delivering evidence-based policy advice on economic growth in developing countries, with strong Nigeria and West Africa presence. Comparable to CPPA in commissioning policy research for government decision-makers and using rigorous analytical methods.
• Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA): Nigeria-based economic policy research organization focused on African economies. Similar to CPPA in thematic focus on development economics, governance, and Nigerian policy challenges, and in serving as a bridge between research and policymakers.
• Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER): Nigerian government policy research institute focused on socio-economic research and policy advice. Directly comparable to CPPA in terms of Nigeria-centric mandate, social science research output, and government engagement.

Regional players

• Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa): Pan-African policy research organization with offices across the continent producing analysis on governance, security, and development. Comparable to CPPA in its African policy focus and stakeholder engagement model, but with a security-oriented thematic emphasis.
• Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA): Kenyan government policy think tank producing research on economic and public policy for the national and county governments. Comparable to CPPA in serving as an autonomous policy advisory body with direct government channels, though Kenya-focused.
• Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC): Uganda-based economic policy think tank affiliated with Makerere University that produces rigorous research on development challenges. Comparable to CPPA in scale, methodology, and government-facing policy work, but operates primarily in East Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-center-for-public-policy-alternatives-cppa-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Center for Public Policy Alternatives (CPPA)