The African Review of Economics and Finance: Past, present, and future

Abstract

The African Review of Economics and Finance (AREF) was established in 2009 by Professor Imhotep Paul Alagidede as a journal that would address the failings of mainstream economics and finance. It would publish quality research even if it is based on case studies of small African countries such as Togo and Eswatini and encourage transdisciplinary political economy. AREF, then, was political from the beginning, aiming to valorise and affirm Afro-economics and Afro-centric analysis to counter the pejorative view that research on African economies is not valuable or useful in developing economics as a discipline. Through a vision that linked his own research agenda to transforming knowledge systems in the global system of knowledge production and distribution, personal sacrifice, and a commitment to mentor younger scholars, Imhotep Alagidede personally paid for the cost of running the journal, prioritised collective interest over his own, and gave his time, energy, and ideas to AREF. Under Imhotep’s leadership, the journal has grown from publishing only three papers per issue, to publishing, on average, about six papers per issue. Further, the journal now publishes the work of leading scholars in the field and is often courted by global academic publishers. Over the years, AREF has provided a forum for shaping the economics on the continent. Through its annual conferences, and by offering the opportunity to develop the skills of scholarship, editing, and refereeing, the journal has advanced African economics and finance. Moving into the future, the editors aspire to widen the geographical scope, epistemological range and thematic coherence of the journal.