Economic &
Social Business Unit

The Economic & Social Business Unit, led by Gildas Irakoze, focuses on the intersection of economic development, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable financing in sub-Saharan Africa. The unit undertakes rigorous quantitative and qualitative research to understand how economic systems function for (and against) marginalised communities, and develops practical models to improve financial inclusion and economic resilience.

With a particular focus on Burundi and the Great Lakes region, the unit's work spans mobile money and digital finance, cooperative economics, agricultural value chains, and poverty analysis, generating evidence that informs national policy and international development programming.

Core Capabilities

• Financial inclusion research : mobile money, savings groups, microfinance
• Socio-economic impact assessments for development programmes
• Agricultural value chain analysis and market systems development
• Cooperative and social solidarity economy modelling
• Poverty measurement using multidimensional poverty indices
• Gender-disaggregated economic analysis and women's economic empowerment
• Business plan development and social enterprise design for NGOs and cooperatives
• Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis for development investments

Active Research

• Mobile money's role in financial inclusion , gender and location perspectives in Burundi (African Economic Research Consortium, 2024–2025)
• Greener African cities: remote work and urban economic transition