Serano Africa

At Serano Africa, we focus on reimagining the world and put considerable effort on capabilities development to create it. We use a problem-driven approach to ideate and iterate possible solutions for elevating narratives of sustainable transformation, people-centered and inclusive prosperity. We provide applied knowledge services on request and demand. Our specialist research team supports a range of development stakeholders, government agencies, and private sector, synthesising the latest evidence and expert thinking to inform policy and practice. Through the building of diverse communities of expertise in governance, sustainability, social development, humanitarian affairs, and conflict issues among others, we initiate important programmes within our Centers and Labs. We actively support the creation and enhancement of depth of knowledge for sustainability and multi-stakeholder imperatives to find new solutions to the above problems sustainably. We access and engage a rich blend of multidisciplinary capability in undertaking political economy analysis, strategic review, policy assessment and technical support for organizations, agencies, and institutions within public and private sectors operating locally, nationally, regionally, and globally. We provide professional and consultancy support services that are aimed at consistent creation and delivery of long-term quality growth. As an integrated knowledge utility for investment and agile engagement firm, our work is anchored on supporting thought leadership and partnerships to advance sustainability narratives and innovations for transforming Africa’s developmental realities.

We are a Nairobi based strategic think tank whose primary aim is to mutually engage, examine and make objective analysis, deliver high quality value where it is most required. We also provide responsive and beneficial problem driven solutions, undertake appropriate capacity development, policy advisory services, research, consultancy, and knowledge sharing platforms that support your firm to create value and achieve its purpose. As an integrated utility consulting, advisory and investment firm, we aim to improve the quality of life and dignity in people through our key areas of focus which include Emerging Markets Sustainable Energy Security & Climate Policy; Global Health Policy & Development; SME Innovation & Sustainable Entrepreneurship; Devolution Support & Sustainable Development; Strategic Affairs and Fragility Assessment; Strategic Communication and Public Relations Lab; Inequality & Agile Empowerment Hub; Regional Trade & Industry Development and The Center for Global Ideas, Sustainability & Development Ethics. Within these initiative areas, we run different projects and produce compelling policy advocacy toolkits and handbooks for knowledge sharing and transfer that consider Vulnerabilities, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA realities) in our complex contemporary world.

Additionally, through our thought leadership and convening power, we organize targeted and high-profile seminars and conferences. These are important platforms for deepening public discussions, sharing of ideas, and improving the breadth of human understanding on emerging innovative models and solutions to old development challenges. Our engagements are diverse and cut across Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Parliament, County Governments, Social Innovation & Development Clubs, Research and Higher Education Institutions, the Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations, Development Partners and Foundations.

Our interest is rooted on supporting organizations and individuals in Africa to unlock shared value, work better to deepen their portfolio investments and opportunities, innovate new and transformative pathways for ending modern energy insecurity, future poverty, inequality, climate change, create wealth and adopt problem driven solution approaches to achieve their full potential. Building organizational and individual capacity underpins progressive economic, social, and ecological change that supports quality and sustainable human development.
As the security and foreign policy scholar Noah Midamba points out, think tanks on the African continent are discharged with three critical tasks; evidence-based policy design; capacity development and research-based implementation, monitoring and learning.

We are deliberately persuasive, bold, committed, and persistently passionate in re-tooling, encouraging, and empowering people and organizations to turn their ideas and ingenuity into reality. Further, we use the power of knowledge exchange programs and platforms to make vital things happen within the productive, and service portfolios for Africa’s sustainable transformation.

Program Focus Areas for SDG 7 and 13: Sub Saharan Africa’s Energy Security and Climate Policy
Making Knowledge Work to Turbocharge Sustainable Transformation in Turbulent Emerging Markets

Across the African region, various fragilities and vulnerabilities combine to affect the pace of development programmes, implementation by communities, governments and private organizations which prompts the questions: what sustainable pathway is suitable within the post Covid-19 recovery and policy reset scenario to address extreme energy poverty and climate change in SSA with maximum returns? How can we generate knowledge through policy action research for improving and influencing the political economy framework on sustainable energy security and climate policy at local, national, and regional levels? What new ideas will inform investments for solving important problems that confront Africa’s future planning scenario such as rapid population growth (which is projected to double to 2.4 billion people within a generation), rapid urbanization, health security, quality education and skills for decent jobs and employment creation, inequality and inclusive prosperity, infrastructure and sustainable modern energy needs to power the delivery of quality life? People and their state of human development is the single most fundamental problem Sub-Sahara Africa is facing. These issues require thought leadership in exchanging quality knowledge and actional policy ideas within a LAGICS model – that is Linking Academia with Government, Industry (Private Sector), Civil Society and Sponsors (development partners /foundations/philanthropists and donors) for long-term and strategically impactful outcomes within Project implementation.

Energy is a critical resource that is fundamental in powering the quality of modern life. Access to energy and its affordability is critical to health services, educational development, and the creation of quality job opportunities yet, 1.3 billion people do not have access to modern electricity around the world. Government agencies, private sector business corporations, individual policy researchers and investors seem to agree that energy is a central pillar in the sustainable long-term quality transformation of Sub- Saharan Africa’s industrial development and manufacturing growth, infrastructure, enterprise growth, human capital formation, agricultural value chains development, skills development through vocational education and training in apprenticeship programmes. Energy poverty means that the possibility of leap frogging industrial policies and achieving rapid economic transformation will further delay for half of Africa’s population.

Why are there far too low investments in energy generation on the continent? What needs to be done on generating accurate analysis, knowledge and data on investment needs especially aligning local needs with national and regional targets through the supply and demand mechanism for sustainable energy? What analytical measurement framework is suitable and contextually applicable to help us understand and appreciate the depth of the energy poverty problem within Africa’s developmental trajectory? How does the available data point to possible patterns on measures that could convert low hanging fruits into a snowball of incremental investments with major implications for local, national, and regional progress targets on Sustainable Development Goal No 7?

The 2020 World Energy Outlook points out that electrification rates in Sub-Saharan Africa are so low. Only 32% of the population has access to modern energy. When viewed from IEA’s understanding – about 650 million people are energy poor on the continent. Measuring energy access gives a clear picture of consumption trends which is important for business leaders, innovators, investors, policy action researchers and government institutions for reforming the climate of regulations and legislative action. SMEs and related growing business innovation and investment portfolio will benefit from a reliable and regularly updated framework which they co-own for knowledge exchange.

a. Emerging Markets Energy Security and Climate Policy for Competitive Industrial Development
b. Political economy analysis and knowledge toolkit for policy advocacy in advancing sustainable energy security framework in Africa.
c. Deepening awareness and understanding among stakeholders, and investors on the nexus between energy security and climate change issues in Africa.
d. Use LAGICS Model to promote the production of knowledge and policy briefs for fostering linkages and collaboration between emerging and developed markets.
— Emerging Markets Sustainable Energy Security & Climate Change Knowledge Pack.
— High Level Performance Leadership for Enhancing Quality Transformation in the Sector.
e. Accelerating R&D to improve better understanding of local, national, and regional policy issues on investment and innovation in sustainable energy security and climate change in Africa.
— Professional Masterclass – Emerging Markets Energy Security & Climate Policy.
— Executive Masterclass on Energy Security Transition Policy & Climate Finance
f. Design Energy Security Investments for Powering Sustainable Industry/Manufacturing Development in selected Emerging Markets Portfolio.
g. Youth engagement for climate action within post Covid-19 recovery and rebuilding.
h. Growing trees and bamboo for greening public spaces program.
i. Greening Supply Chains & Procurement Sustainability Index.
j. Climate Action Integration for Measuring SMEs Sustainability Index.
k. Regional Peace, Energy Security & Climate Change Knowledge Exchange Initiative.
l. Programme Evaluation, Learning & Reporting on Energy Security Development & Climate Action in Eastern Africa
m. Regional Conference on Advancing Sustainable Energy Security and Climate Justice in Emerging Markets

SDG 3: Global Health Policy & Development

On the African continent, Covid-19 has bluntly reminded us that a sick sector and underinvests in sustainable public health systems and infrastructure is a policy priority that the region must respond to urgently. What explains the enduring non-investment in quality public health despite an endless litany of declarations and pronouncements right from the Abuja declaration of 1991 to date? What will it take for the region to build real capabilities within the entire R&D value chains while also addressing health commodities for the ever-increasing population on the continent?

The global public health pandemic has thrust many issues within global health policy and security to the forefront for governments, business corporations, civil society, educational and research communities, and private citizens to consider. Covid-19 has exposed the various layers of vulnerability within global health. Managing emergencies requires critical infrastructure which is progressively being developed. Much still needs to be done if the region is to catch up with other regions that could be doing much better. As a globalizing issue, health requires more specialized skills and assembly lines for manufacturing vaccines beyond what we have appreciated in the past.

Low investments in healthcare infrastructure and systems will need to change as we battle against Covid-19. International rules of trade and intellectual property rights regimes on vaccines have been brought within the discussion to make is possible for waiver and accelerated production on the continent.

We have learnt how important it is to create innovative and transformative mechanisms for widening information and knowledge exchange, sharing economic opportunity to the utilization of available expertise within the health sector. Mutual learning and high performance are important pillars within R&D if the region will become better placed at promoting sustainable human development among the African people. Working with multiple players and actors such as civil society, academia, political, think tanks, business, media, and global partners, we share in the common aspiration of making health a public good that everyone has a right to access and enjoy anytime anywhere on the continent.
Focus Areas
a. High Level Performance Leadership for Supporting Quality Transformation in Health
b. Professional Training in Health Policy, Inequality & Development for Healthcare Professionals
c. Policy Coherence and Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Investments in Public Health.
d. Global Health Policy, Big Data and AI in Health Services Project.
e. The Economics of Global Health Commodities in Emerging Markets.
f. Tough Choices on Sustainable Investments in Public Health Conference.
– Global Health Policy & Sustainable Health Investments Knowledge Pack.
g. Building a Partners Coalition to Advance Investments for Research on NCDs.
h. Building Resilience Across Local, National and Regional Health Supply Chains.

SDG. 9 – Sustainable Regional Trade & Industry Development

Focus Areas
a. Knowledge Exchange Program and Trade Diplomacy on AfCFTA
b. Training on Economic Diplomacy and Sustainable Regional Trade Development
c. Quality of Industry Development, Competitiveness and Trade Facilitation
d. SME Innovation & Competitiveness in Regional Trade & Development
e. High Level Performance Leadership for Enhancing Quality Transformation
f. The Enterprise Map of East Africa: Trade, Investment Portfolio & Industrial Development
– A Sustainability Handbook.
g. The Cooperatives & Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Powering Sustainable Financing for Competitive Industrial Development.
h. Research on Political Economy and Social Impact of Regional Integration in the Development of Africa
– Beyond GDP: The Political Economy & Social Impact of 20 Years of EAC’s Integration: Relying on the Past Gains to Navigate Agile Post Covid-19 Recovery
– Financing the 4th Industrial Revolution in Africa: Addressing Vulnerabilities in Scaling Up Strategic Investments for Wealth Creation & Fostering Sustainable Economic Transformation.