AIRA Africa
African Institute for Research Advancement & Innovation
We are a newly registered non-profit in Kano, Nigeria. We do not yet have a funded office or a track record of programmes. What we do have is legal registration, a clear mission, and a digital-first plan to launch research mentorship for students and early-career scholars.
Who We Are
The African Institute for Research Advancement & Innovation (AIRA Africa) is a company limited by guarantee — RC 9646490 — incorporated under CAMA 2020. Our object is research development, mentorship, and innovation for African scholars.
We are in the founding phase: assembling volunteers, designing our first mentorship cohort, and seeking partners who will help us prove the model before we scale.
Incorporated 30 June 2026 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee. Registration number RC 9646490.
Recruiting volunteer mentors, coordinators, and partners. Designing the inaugural research mentorship cohort.
Run a small, documented pilot. Publish results. Then approach funders with evidence — not promises.
Core Areas of Focus
Our constitutional scope covers five research domains. In the founding years we will concentrate where our leadership already has depth — health research and agriculture — then expand as capacity grows.
Priority start — clinical research, public health, medical imaging, and biomedical capacity building.
→ 02Priority start — agricultural innovation, food security, climate-smart practice, and agribusiness research.
→ 03Later phase — AI applications, data analytics, and technology-driven research methods.
→ 04Later phase — engineering, applied sciences, environmental research, and emerging technologies.
→ 05Later phase — education research, governance, public policy, and community-based inquiry.
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What We Are Building First
Fellowships, conferences, journals, and multi-country projects are goals — not current offerings. Our first deliverable is a structured, remote mentorship programme pairing early-career researchers with experienced scholars.
If you are a mentor or a prospective mentee, say so now. The first cohort will be small on purpose.
Programme Plan —Leadership
AIRA Africa is led by practicing researchers. The Board and volunteer corps are still being built — that is deliberate, and we are recruiting.
MRI specialist radiographer, educator, and researcher with over nine years across clinical radiography, MRI, ultrasound, and CT — currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Radiography at Bayero University Kano.
Agricultural entrepreneur, researcher, and mentor — CEO of Real Agro and Integrated Services, PhD from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and an active farmer and agribusiness innovator.
Responsible for corporate governance, statutory records, and regulatory compliance, and for supporting the Board in the orderly administration of the Institute's affairs.
"We will not pretend to be a mature institute. We will earn that status by running real programmes, keeping records, and publishing what we learn."
Founding commitment of AIRA Africa
Founding Partners & Volunteers
When universities, agencies, and funders formally partner with us, their names will appear here. Until then, we invite serious collaborators — not decorative affiliations.
Mentors, coordinators, writers, designers, accountants, and institutional partners — the Institute will only move as fast as the people who join it.