ERAIFT

What ERAIFT does

ERAIFT (Ecole Régionale Post-Universitaire d'Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux) is a UNESCO Category 2 regional post-graduate training school located on the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN) campus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Founded in 1999/2000, the institution delivers interdisciplinary master's programs in Protected Areas Management (GAP/GRB), Forest Management Technology (TAF), and Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Territories (AGIFT), plus a PhD program with cotutelle arrangements, all recognized by CAMES (African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education). Its pedagogical framework is a "systemic approach" combining interdisciplinary, intersectoral, participatory, and integrated perspectives, with regional mobility at partner institutions including the Garoua Wildlife School (Cameroon), CRESA Forest-Wood, and field sites such as Odzala-Kokoua-Lossi and Luki Biosphere Reserves.

The school operates research infrastructure that supports both training and broader scientific work, including the Yangambi Landscape Database (a document-oriented platform with REST API, spatial visualization, and encrypted access managed in collaboration with CIFOR and University of Ghent), a Geomatics Lab, a Flux Tower for ecosystem monitoring, and the Luki Biosphere Reserve Research Station. ERAIFT does not generate revenue through tuition; instead, it is financed by a consortium of donors and partners including the DRC government, European Union (NaturAfrica, PACEBCO, RESSAC), UNESCO, Belgium (Wallonie Bruxelles International, Awac, University of Liège), Japan (through ITTO and RIFFEAC), FAO, USFS/USAID, GIZ, ADB/CEAC, IFAD, AFD, and WWF. Its customers are primarily Central and West African professionals working in national parks, biosphere reserves, forestry concessions, and government ministries, with the 7th cohort (launched November 2025) comprising 40 learners from 11 African countries.

ERAIFT functions more as a donor-funded capacity-building institution than a commercial entity, with no disclosed revenue figures and a 33-person staff. Operational activity is evidenced by ongoing cohort training, EU delegation hosting in May 2026, and field immersion programs (e.g., sixth-cohort TAF immersion at PALLISCO in March–April 2026). Its go-to-market is institution-led, relying on partnerships with universities (University of Liège, University of Dschang), international networks (AGRINATURA, RIFFEAC, COMIFAC), and industry partners (PALLISCO, CIB Olam) to deliver practical training and recruit students regionally.

Name

ERAIFT

Legal name

The Regional Post-Graduate Training School on Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Lands (ERAIFT)

Website

https://eraift-rdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ERAIFT is a UNESCO Category 2 regional post-graduate school in Kinshasa, DRC, training African professionals in integrated tropical forest and protected area management through CAMES-recognized master's and PhD programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry and Environmental Higher Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Management Unit (FMU) Certification (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (AFAMALAA), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), EMS Training & Competency Development (EUAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Tropical forest management
• Protected areas training
• Forestry postgraduate education
• Biodiversity conservation training
• Integrated land use management

Headquarters

HQ city

Kinshasa

HQ country

Congo - Kinshasa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Regional Master's Programs: ERAIFT offers regional professional master's programs (GAP/GRB and TAF) recognized by CAMES. Programs are financed by multiple financial partners including the European Union, UNESCO, and other international donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ERAIFT delivers regional post-graduate professional master's programs (GAP/GRB in Protected Areas Management, TAF in Forest Management Technology, and AGIFT in Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Territories), along with a PhD program, all recognized by CAMES and built around a systemic, interdisciplinary approach. Training combines a common core with regional mobility at partner institutions and intensive field immersions in Congo Basin ecosystems such as Odzala-Kokoua-Lossi National Park and concessions operated by PALLISCO and CIB Olam.

Product overview

ERAIFT is a UNESCO Category 2 Regional Post-Graduate Training School offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs including Regional Master's programs (GAP/GRB for Protected Areas Management, TAF for Forest Management Technology, and AGIFT for Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Territories), along with PhD programs. The institution provides specialized field training programs like STADI, and maintains research infrastructure including the Yangambi Landscape Database (a data management platform with REST API), Geomatics Lab, Flux Tower, and the Luki Biosphere Reserve Research Station. Programs are recognized by CAMES and delivered using a systemic, interdisciplinary approach with regional mobility at partner institutions across Central Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Master's Program in Protected Areas Management (GAP/GRB) Professional Master's program focused on protected areas and biosphere reserves management, recognized by CAMES, with a third semester of regional mobility at the Garoua Wildlife School (EFG, Cameroon) for specialization.
• Regional Master's Program in Forest Management Technology (TAF) Professional Master's program focused on forest management techniques with practical training in tropical forests, including field immersion at PALLISCO and CIB Olam concessions and specialization at CRESA Forest-Wood (University of Dschang, Cameroon).
• Master of Science in Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Territories (AGIFT) Master of Science program providing comprehensive training in integrated management of tropical forests and territories using a systemic, interdisciplinary approach.
• PhD Program Doctoral program in integrated management of tropical forests and territories, with cotutelle arrangements with international universities including the University of Liège.
• STADI - Integrated Field Training Programme in Planning and Integrated Development Three-month intensive field training program where students conduct hands-on work in protected areas such as Odzala-Kokoua-Lossi National Park, learning modern data collection tools and engaging with local communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7 cohorts of regional master's students trained from multiple African countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO serves as the governing body under whose auspices ERAIFT operates as a Category 2 Center. UNESCO provides institutional legitimacy, international governance framework, and support for the school's educational programs in integrated forest management.
• AGRINATURAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGRINATURA serves as the executing agency for EU-funded projects including NaturAfrica and VCA4D. The organization supports capacity building and project implementation for ERAIFT's regional programs.
• University of Liège (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey academic partner providing North-South cooperation through joint training courses, cotutelle doctoral programs, and faculty supervision. Professor Jean-Louis Doucet leads tropical forestry courses and student supervision.
• CIB OlamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForestry company providing hands-on training facilities for ERAIFT students in forest management techniques. Students conduct field immersion at CIB Olam operations in Pokola and Loundoungou, Republic of Congo.
• PALLISCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForestry company hosting ERAIFT students for practical training in tropical forest management from March 16 to April 4, 2026. Training focuses on FSC certification and sustainable forest management practices.
• African Parks NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for protected area management training and management board participation. ERAIFT Director serves as Special Envoy of the African Parks Network for Francophone Africa.
• CIFOR-ICRAFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFOR-ICRAF implements the RESSAC program funded by the European Union, collaborating with ERAIFT on ecosystem services research and Yangambi Scientific Pole development.
• Garoua Wildlife School (EFG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner institution for GAP/GRB specialization mobility. ERAIFT students spend semester 3 at Garoua Wildlife School in Cameroon for specialized protected area management training.
• INERAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agricultural research institute collaborating on Yangambi Biosphere Reserve research and ecosystem services valuation projects including EVASE_RBL.
• ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCongolese Institute for Nature Conservation collaborates on protected area management, Luki Biosphere Reserve activities, and Odzala-Kokoua-Lossi National Park programs.
• Nature+minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian NGO collaborating on AGROVAL project for sustainable agricultural development in northern Republic of Congo, including post-doctoral fellowship supervision.
• COMIFACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral African Forestry Commission is the regional body coordinating forest management initiatives across Central Africa, with ERAIFT hosting NATURAFRICA Strategic Steering Committee meetings.
• Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration discussions initiated for GAP student mobility starting from 2023, strengthening networking between protected areas across Africa within the AGRINATURA project framework.
• ATIBT (International Technical Association of Tropical Timber)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERAIFT is a member of ATIBT, and the President of ATIBT serves on the ERAIFT Board of Directors.
• CITES SecretariatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITES MIKE training program collaboration for elephant mortality monitoring and anti-poaching operations training for Central African national focal points and forest rangers institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Dschang (CRESA Forest-Wood): CRESA Forest-Wood at the University of Dschang is ERAIFT's regional mobility partner for TAF specialization. Comparable as a Central African institution offering applied forestry training and research.
• CIFOR-ICRAF: CIFOR-ICRAF is the leading global research organization on tropical forestry and agroforestry, co-implementing the EU-funded RESSAC program with ERAIFT. Comparable in Congo Basin forestry research and capacity-building mandate.
• IFA-Yangambi (Institut Facultaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Yangambi): IFA-Yangambi is a Congolese agronomic institute whose Rector is also ERAIFT's Director. Closely affiliated institution focused on tropical agronomy and forestry in DRC with overlapping research footprint (Yangambi Biosphere Reserve).
• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza): CATIE is a leading tropical agricultural and forestry graduate school in Latin America offering master's programs in forest management and conservation. It is the most direct global analog to ERAIFT's regional postgraduate tropical forestry education model.
• Garoua Wildlife School (EFG): EFG is a Cameroonian regional school specializing in protected area management training and serves as ERAIFT's primary mobility partner for the GAP/GRB specialization semester. Directly comparable in curriculum focus and target student profile.
• Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC): SAWC delivers professional training in protected area management across Southern Africa and is an ERAIFT partner for GAP student mobility. Comparable as a regional wildlife and PA management training institution.
• University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN): UNIKIN is the host university for ERAIFT's campus in Kinshasa and offers overlapping forestry and environmental science programs. Directly comparable as a Congolese public university with research and training capacity in tropical ecology.

Broad incumbents

• World Agroforestry (ICRAF): ICRAF is a globally established CGIAR research center on agroforestry that co-implements RESSAC with ERAIFT and CIFOR. Comparable in tropical forestry research and capacity-building mission across Africa.

Emerging players

• African Parks Network: African Parks is a conservation NGO managing protected areas across Africa and a strategic ERAIFT partner for protected area management training. Comparable in mission focus on Congo Basin PA governance and capacity building.

Others

• ATIBT (International Technical Association of Tropical Timber): ATIBT is the industry association for sustainable tropical timber whose President sits on ERAIFT's Board. Comparable as a tropical forestry ecosystem organization promoting FSC certification and sustainable forest management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eraift

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ERAIFT