Last updated: August 2025

1. Institutional Commitment

The Institute of African Research, Advisory & Innovation (iARAi) affirms its unwavering commitment to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and professional conduct in all areas of its work. As a multidisciplinary research and advisory institute grounded in African contexts and globally oriented, iARAi recognises that ethical practice is foundational to public trust, scholarly excellence, and the sustainable advancement of society.

Our commitment to ethics and integrity extends across our research programmes, advisory services, capacity-building initiatives, and institutional partnerships. It underpins how we engage with participants, communities, governments, donors, and the wider public. At iARAi, ethics is not an adjunct, it is embedded in our organisational DNA, influencing every decision, policy, and collaboration.

2. Principles of Ethical Conduct

Our ethical framework is grounded in internationally recognised standards of research ethics, good governance, and public accountability, including but not limited to the Singapore Statement on Research Integrity, the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UNESCO), the UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity, and SDG 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions.

a. Integrity

We are committed to honesty, accuracy, and transparency in the production, interpretation, and dissemination of knowledge. We uphold the principles of academic freedom, objectivity, and independence, especially in politically or socially sensitive contexts.

b. Respect

We affirm the inherent dignity of all individuals and communities. We engage with cultural sensitivity and respect for human rights, ensuring that our work reflects the values, needs, and agency of those we seek to serve.

c. Responsibility

We recognise our duty to protect research participants, uphold confidentiality, prevent harm, and ensure informed consent in all data collection and stakeholder engagement activities.

d. Accountability

We are accountable to our stakeholders, including research participants, funders, partner organisations, and the public. We ensure that oversight structures are in place to investigate ethical breaches and resolve conflicts of interest.

e. Equity and Justice

We are committed to advancing equity within our own institution and through our work. This includes equitable authorship, fair recognition, decolonised research practices, and meaningful inclusion of underrepresented voices in knowledge production and policy formulation.

f. Environmental Responsibility

We acknowledge our ethical obligation to consider the environmental impact of our work, align with sustainable development principles, and contribute to just climate transitions where applicable.

3. Research Integrity

iARAi adheres to the highest standards of research integrity. We commit to:

• Ensuring methodological rigour, reproducibility, and transparency in all our research
• Avoiding fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and data manipulation
• Disclosing funding sources and conflicts of interest
• Upholding ethical peer review and publication standards
• Implementing ethical clearance procedures for all research involving human subjects or sensitive data

We continuously review and refine our research ethics policies in line with evolving global standards and local contextual relevance.

4. Institutional Governance and Internal Conduct

All staff, fellows, researchers, and affiliates of iARAi are expected to act in accordance with the institution’s Code of Conduct and this Ethics and Integrity Statement. This includes:

• Acting with professionalism, civility, and good judgment
• Avoiding conflicts of interest, corruption, discrimination, or abuse of power
• Promoting a workplace culture of respect, transparency, and inclusion
• Reporting misconduct through safe and accessible whistleblowing mechanisms
• Participating in periodic ethics and compliance training

We maintain internal accountability mechanisms, including ethics review processes, periodic audits, and disciplinary procedures for breaches.

5. Ethical Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange

We believe that ethical partnerships are essential to impactful research and innovation. In our collaborations with universities, governments, communities, funders, and civil society organisations, we commit to:

• Upholding principles of co-creation, mutual respect, and equitable benefit-sharing
• Recognising local and indigenous knowledge systems
• Ensuring transparency in roles, responsibilities, and decision-making
• Avoiding extractive, top-down, or performative engagement models
• Respecting the intellectual property and agency of all contributors

Our partnerships are guided by memoranda of understanding, shared ethical values, and mutual learning.

6. Public Communication and Data Ethics

As an institute engaging with diverse publics and stakeholders, we ensure that all public-facing communications, publications, and advisory outputs are:

• Evidence-based, accessible, and free from misrepresentation
• Respectful of sensitive information and community identities
• Aligned with data protection laws including Nigeria’s NDPA, the EU’s GDPR, and the CCPA (US)
• Designed to counter misinformation, foster dialogue, and advance public understanding

We are committed to responsible data use, including ethical data curation, open-access policies (where applicable), and safeguards around digital engagement.

7. Continuous Learning and Reflection

Ethics is not static. We view integrity as an evolving practice shaped by self-reflection, critique, and engagement with emerging global challenges. iARAi fosters a learning culture that encourages:

• Ethical reflexivity in programme design and implementation
• Ongoing capacity-building for staff and partners
• Integration of ethical insights into strategic decision-making
• Dialogue across disciplines, sectors, and communities of practice

8. Public Accountability

This Statement is publicly available and reviewed annually. We welcome dialogue, critique, and collaboration in strengthening our ethical commitments. Concerns about ethical conduct, compliance, or institutional decisions may be raised confidentially by contacting:

 Email: info@theiarai.org

Closing

At iARAi, ethics is not a compliance requirement. It is the foundation of our legitimacy, the anchor of our credibility, and the pathway to transformative impact. This Statement affirms our intent to lead with integrity, think with humility, act with courage, and serve with responsibility.