Pan African Youth Institute

The Pan African Youth Institute (PAYI) is Africa's premier independent, youth-based research and policy think tank. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Accra, Ghana, the non-profit and non-partisan organization is dedicated to empowering the continent's demographic majority—where 65% of the population is under 35—to actively lead and shape Africa's development. Operating across all 54 African Union member states and the global diaspora, PAYI generates rigorous, youth-centered research to inform government policies, mentor emerging policy leaders, and advocate for sustainable youth development.The institute operates under a strict open-books policy, independently auditing and publicly publishing its annual accountability reports to maintain transparency and ensure its research integrity is never compromised by external funding. Alongside its policy research, PAYI collaborates broadly on capacity-building initiatives, such as its strategic alignment with regional bodies like the Pan African Chamber to sharpen the management, monitoring, and evaluation competencies of grassroots youth organizations. Through its remote-friendly network of international fellows and advisors, the institute continues to bridge the gap between young innovators, civil society, and continental policymakers.