ORCID-WACA | Advancing Research Identity in West & Central Africa

Building a Foundation for Research Visibility

The ORCID-WACA initiative is led by the West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN) with support from the ORCID Global Participation Fund. Our mission is to advance the adoption and integration of ORCID and other persistent identifiers (PIDs) across institutions in West and Central Africa.

WACREN has long recognised that the low adoption of PIDs such as ORCID across Africa limits the visibility and discoverability of the region's scholarly outputs, reinforcing the misconception of low scholarly productivity in Africa. Many African researchers and professionals only encounter ORCID during the journal submission process because publishers often require it.

Through this initiative, we aim to demonstrate how ORCID adoption can strengthen research integrity, improve researcher recognition, increase the visibility of African scholarly outputs, and enhance broader institutional collaboration across the continent.

Programme at a Glance

Duration12 months

Ambassadors15

Countries12+

Workshops30+

Launch DateDec 2025

Our Mission, Vision & Values

🎯

Mission

To advance ORCID adoption and integration across West and Central African institutions, strengthening researcher identification and enhancing the visibility of African scholarship globally.

👁️

Vision

A West and Central Africa where every researcher has a persistent digital identity, ensuring proper attribution and global recognition of their contributions to knowledge.

💎

Values

Collaboration, Inclusivity, Open Science, Research Integrity, Capacity Building, and Sustainable Development in the African research ecosystem.

Why ORCID-WACA Matters

The Challenge

African researchers face significant barriers to global recognition:

Name Ambiguity: Common names like Mohammed, Fatima, Ibrahim lead to attribution errors
Low Visibility: African scholarship is often overlooked in international databases
Institutional Gaps: Limited mandates for ORCID adoption at institutional level
Awareness Gap: Many researchers only learn about ORCID during manuscript submission
Disciplinary Divide: Non-STEM researchers especially underrepresented

Our Approach

ORCID-WACA addresses these challenges through:

Ambassador-Led Outreach: 15 trained ambassadors conducting workshops across the region
Community Building: Establishing a Community of Practice for sustained engagement
Technical Integration: Piloting ORCID integration with RUMBU institutional repositories
Capacity Development: Training researchers, librarians, and administrators
Policy Advocacy: Working with institutions to adopt ORCID mandates

Programme Timeline

Phase 1: Nov 2025 - Jan 2026

Foundation & Planning

Ambassador recruitment, resource development, Community of Practice launch, and programme setup.

Phase 2: Feb - Jul 2026

Implementation

Ambassador training, regional workshops, institutional outreach, RUMBU pilot integration, and community engagement.

Phase 3: Aug - Oct 2026

Evaluation & Sustainability

Impact evaluation, roadmap development for shared ORCID Hub, white paper publication, and sustainability planning.

Meet the Team

Femi Koya

Project Lead

Leading programme strategy, ambassador coordination, and stakeholder engagement across the region.

Innocent Bimba

Technical Coordinator

Managing ORCID integration pilots and technical implementation across institutional systems.

Effah Obeng

Communications Lead

Driving visibility, marketing communications, and community engagement strategies.

Abigail [Last Name]

M&E Specialist

Leading programme evaluation, impact assessment, and reporting frameworks.

About ORCID-WACA