The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), a major research institution based in Nairobi, recorded a financial dip for the year 2025. The organisation earned a total income of US$39.3 million, a reduction of more than US$5 million compared to the previous year, when it generated US$44.4 million. This figure also trails the US$41.7 million raised in 2023, according to the centre’s annual report.
Grants and currency volatility
The decline in revenue is linked to a drop in grant funding. The report attributes this to changes in the international funding setting, including a decline in support from United States government agencies. Agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US National Institutes of Health, or NIH, are listed as partners. The report notes that USAID was closed by the Trump administration a year ago, alongside other contributing factors like inflationary pressures and currency rate fluctuations.
Despite the financial shortfall, ICIPE’s total assets increased by over US$2 million, growing from US$52.7 million in 2024 to US$54.8 million in 2025. A significant portion of the 2025 income, nearly US$33.3 million or 85%, was allocated directly to research activities. The remainder covered institutional support and transfers to reserves. However, a portion of the 2024 funding was considered at risk in the following year, though the organisation did not provide further details on these matters.
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Scientific progress and strategy
Leadership described 2025 as a defining year for the centre. Ylva Hillbur, the chairperson of the governing council, and Abdou Tenkouano, the director general, highlighted the launch of a new five-year vision and strategy document. The strategy positions the organisation and its work in insect science as drivers of resilience, sustainability, and global health security. The report emphasizes that the centre is contributing to human capital development, youth employment, and broader social-economic transformation through these efforts.
Under the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), a pan-African PhD training scheme, the centre supports doctoral training and research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme combines intra-African doctoral exchange with international training. It has supported nearly 470 researchers and scientists, with at least 36% of beneficiaries being women. In 2025, six technologies and innovations emerged from RSIF-supported research, including biopesticide formulations developed at Côte d’Ivoire’s Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, which have now obtained regulatory approval for use by farmers.
While a drop in grants can complicate long-term planning, the financial context of African research institutions is increasingly tied to global political shifts. The availability of US government funding has historically been a significant factor for many African science programmes, and changes in US foreign policy can create unpredictable gaps in essential research support. This makes the diversification of funding sources a critical, if difficult, challenge for institutions relying on international aid.
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Future projects and partnerships
The organisation continues to expand its partnerships and project scope. It has won the opportunity to lead the fourth phase of the US$46-million Accelerating Innovation and Catalysing Capacity for Resilience in Africa (AICCRA) programme. This initiative will be implemented in Mali, Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia. It aims to reach more than 1.5 million farmers and food system actors by scaling climate-smart agriculture and improving access to climate information services.
ICIPE has also assumed long-term ownership of the Digital Earth Africa Earth observation platform. This move supports the development of a fully African-owned facility designed to inform decision-making in agriculture, climate, water, and land use. Additionally, the centre aims to become a hub for ‘gene drive’ training to address skill gaps, supported by regulatory collaboration. It will also implement the Global Environment Facility and United Nations Environment Programme-supported Global Chemicals Monitoring Programme to enhance the monitoring of persistent organic pollutants.
