Enoch Aikins

Enoch Aikins is a dedicated researcher and advocate with substantial expertise in democracy, governance, and African development. As a researcher in the African Futures & Innovation (AFI) Programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, Enoch’s work includes analysing trends and futures of African development and governance and providing policy pathways to policymakers. He has authored reports on the long-term future of over 20 African countries. Enoch also previously worked at the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), leading initiatives on democratic governance, including local government reforms, constitutional amendments, developmental political parties, and peaceful, credible elections.

As an activist and columnist, he has published over 40 articles on democracy, elections, governance, peace, and security, complemented by numerous media engagements with international and local outlets such as BBC, DW and Financial Times. Enoch is a 2023 Young African Leadership Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, a member of Elect the Council, an African group advocating for the reform of the UN Security Council and the founder of Young Africans in Policy and Advocacy (YAPA), which nurtures young Africans for ethical leadership. Enoch is a Candidate for the Mid-Career Master of Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School 2025/2026.