The Journal of African Development Horizons (JAFDH) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. It provides a scholarly platform for researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers working on African development across the social sciences, humanities, environment, enterprise, and culture.
JAFDH was established to strengthen the visibility of high-quality African and international research on the economic, social, cultural, and environmental horizons of development. The journal welcomes work from universities, polytechnics, research institutes, communities, and practice settings, including studies grounded in particular African places that speak to wider continental questions.
The journal publishes original empirical and theoretical research, critical reviews, and methodologically clear essays. Preference is given to manuscripts that are rigorous, ethically sound, and clearly written. Studies that address enterprise and livelihoods, education and literacy, culture and literature, indigenous knowledge, environmental change, and development practice are especially welcome.
JAFDH operates a double-anonymous peer-review process and follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All articles are published under an open-access licence so that they can be read, shared, and cited without subscription barriers.
Publisher: EmpiricalOpen Publishers Ltd
Frequency: Quarterly, with continuous online first publication
Language: English
Aims and Objectives
Aim
To publish rigorous, original, and accessible research that advances knowledge of African development and supports scholarship, policy, and practice in Africa and beyond.
Objectives
Provide a credible outlet for research on African development, culture, environment, enterprise, education, and the humanities.
Encourage interdisciplinary work that links evidence, local knowledge, and development practice.
Promote studies grounded in African contexts, including Enugu and south-eastern Nigeria, that address continental and global questions.
Increase the international visibility of African scholarship while remaining open to global submissions.
Uphold transparent peer review, research integrity, and open access.
Support early-career researchers through constructive review and clear author guidance.
Focus and Scope
JAFDH considers manuscripts in, but not limited to:
Enterprise and livelihoods: small and medium enterprises, digital transformation, tourism, green products, markets, and local economic change.
Culture and the humanities: literature, film, language, indigenous art, cultural preservation, and critical studies of gender and representation.
Environment and knowledge: environmental change, post-extractive communities, indigenous knowledge, ecological wisdom, and sustainable development.
Education and inclusion: adult literacy, women’s empowerment, curriculum, digital skills, and community learning.
Manuscripts outside this development horizon (for example, purely laboratory science or clinical medicine without a development core) should be directed to other journals in the publisher’s portfolio.
Peer Review Process
JAFDH uses double-anonymous peer review.
Editorial screening for scope, originality, ethics, and basic quality (about 1–2 weeks).
Manuscripts that pass screening are sent to at least two independent reviewers.
Reviewers assess originality, methods, evidence, interpretation, ethics, and clarity.
Possible decisions: accept; minor revision; major revision; reject.
Revised papers may be returned to the original reviewers.
The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision.
Target time to first decision: 6–8 weeks. The journal follows COPE guidance. Appeals may be sent in writing to the Editor-in-Chief.
Author Guidelines
Submit original work not under review elsewhere. File: Microsoft Word; Times New Roman 12 pt; double-spaced; line numbers. Structured abstract: 250–300 words. Keywords: 4–6. References: APA 7th edition. Separate title page (authors, affiliations, ORCID, corresponding email, funding, conflicts). Anonymised main file for review. Ethics approval and consent statements where required. Cover letter stating contribution and fit with JAFDH.
Article types: Original research (5,000–8,000 words); reviews (up to 10,000); short communications (2,000–3,500).
Charges: No article processing charge for eligible African authors at launch. Any future fees will be stated clearly on the website. There is no submission fee.
Licence: Authors retain copyright. Articles are published under CC BY 4.0.
Open Access and Ethics
Open access: All articles are freely available online upon publication.
Ethics: Research involving human participants must have institutional approval and informed consent where required. The journal screens submissions for plagiarism. Fabrication, duplicate publication, and undisclosed conflicts of interest will lead to rejection or retraction in line with COPE.
As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
All submissions must meet the following requirements.
This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
This submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
All tables and figures have been numbered and labeled.
Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission.
Author Guidelines
Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.
Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study's country.
An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you're satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.
The Journal of African Development Horizons (JAFDH) is an open-access, peer-reviewed, international multidisciplinary journal dedicated to advancing research, policy analysis, and innovative solutions for Africa’s sustainable development.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a global platform that bridges the gap between development research and real-world applications in Africa and beyond. We aim to inspire, engage, and challenge our readers and contributors to look beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and think critically about the role of development studies in addressing contemporary societal issues.
Our Mission
The Journal of African Development Horizons (JAFDH) is committed to publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research that advances sustainable development, policy innovation, and inclusive growth across Africa. We provide a dynamic platform for disseminating context-specific knowledge and solutions that address economic, social, governance, and environmental challenges. By bridging research, policy, and practice, JAFDH empowers scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to shape Africa’s development future
Our Aims
Economic growth, poverty reduction, and inclusive development
Governance, peace, and institutional strengthening
Sustainable environment, climate resilience, and green economy
Education, health, youth empowerment, and human capital development
Digital transformation, innovation, and technology for development
Rural development, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and regional integration
Manuscript Preparation
Language: All manuscripts must be in English. Authors whose first language is not English may want to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission to improve readability.
Word Processing Formats: Acceptable formats for your manuscript are Word (DOC, DOCX).
Article Length: Articles should be between 5000 and 8000 words in length. This includes all text, for example, the structured abstract, references, all text in tables, and figures and appendices.
Abstract: All articles must have a structured abstract that states in 250 words or fewer the purpose, methodology, findings, originality, and research implications of the study.
Keywords: Please provide up to 10 keywords on the title page which encapsulate the principal topics of the paper.
Citations and References: Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts conform to the journal citation style. All references must be complete and accurate.
Figures and Tables: Include all figures and tables in the manuscript PDF file. Figures and tables should not be submitted in separate files.
Submission Process
Submission: Manuscripts should be submitted online. The submission system will prompt you to enter the necessary information about your manuscript.
Peer Review: The journal operates a double-blind peer review process. Authors must ensure that their names and affiliations do not appear anywhere in the manuscript.
Revision: Based on the feedback received from the reviewers, authors may be required to revise their manuscripts.
Acceptance and Publication: Authors will be asked to complete a ‘Journal Publishing Agreement.
Review Process
TheJournal of African Development Horizons (JAFDH) follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the highest standards of academic integrity. Here’s a step-by-step overview of our review process:
Initial Screening: All submissions undergo an initial screening to check for completeness, adherence to our submission guidelines, and overall fit with the journal’s scope.
Double-Blind Peer Review: If a manuscript passes the initial screening, it is sent to at least two independent reviewers in the relevant field. The identities of both the authors and reviewers are kept confidential to ensure an unbiased review process.
Review Reports: Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript based on its originality, methodological soundness, and the relevance and clarity of the presentation. They provide a detailed report with comments for the author and recommendations for the editor.
Author Revisions: Authors may be asked to revise their manuscript based on the reviewers' feedback. We encourage authors to revise and resubmit their manuscript, addressing the reviewers’ comments.
Final Decision: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on whether to accept or reject a manuscript, considering the reviewers’ comments and the manuscript’s contribution to the field.
Publication: Upon acceptance, the manuscript is published online in the next available issue of the journal.
We are committed to providing constructive feedback and a fair, unbiased evaluation of all submissions.
Copyright Notice
JAFDH operates under the following copyright policy:
Author’s Rights: As an author, you retain the copyright to your work. You also retain the right to use your article in the following ways, as long as you do not sell it or give it away in ways that would conflict with our commercial business interests:
Use it for personal use and internal institutional use.
Make copies of the article for educational purposes.
Use it as part of a lecture or presentation.
Use it in a subsequent compilation of your works.
Extend the article into book-length form.
Use it for other scholarly and professional activities.
Journal’s Rights: Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a ‘Journal Publishing Agreement’. Under this agreement, authors grant the JAFDH the exclusive right to publish and distribute their article, and to create adaptations and extracts from the article, in all formats and media worldwide.
Open Access: All articles published by the JAFDH are made freely available online immediately upon publication, without subscription charges or registration barriers. Authors or their institutions pay an article publication charge to cover the costs of publishing.
