Bright Simons pushes evidence-based policy and civic accountability across Africa

Public policy advocate and Ghanaian innovator, Bright Simons, continues to gain international recognition for his influence on governance, development thinking, and civic accountability in Africa.

Best known as the founder of mPedigree, a pioneering platform that enables consumers to verify the authenticity of medicines and other critical goods through mobile authentication, Simons has combined technological innovation with a strong commitment to public interest advocacy.

While his work in technology has had significant impact, it is his role as a vocal and evidence-driven policy commentator that has earned him widespread public attention.

Having held prestigious fellowships at ODI and Harvard, and benefited from an astrophysics research scholarship at Durham, Simons serves as an honorary vice-president of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, one of Ghana’s leading think tanks.

Through this platform, he has become a prominent voice in policy analysis, known for rigorously interrogating policy failures in Ghana and across the African continent.

His data-driven critiques of popular but often flawed policy proposals have resonated with a growing audience, earning him a devoted social media following and positioning him as a key contributor to public discourse on governance and development.

In late 2024, Simons’ influence was further recognised with his appointment as a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a respected global development think tank.

The following year, in 2025, he was named co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Development Council, a role that underscored his rising global stature in development policy circles.

Still in his 40s, Simons is widely regarded as a figure likely to shape conversations around governance and public policy in Africa for years to come.

His coined term “katanomics,” which describes the disconnect between political rhetoric and sound policy in many African countries, has gained traction and may endure as a lasting contribution to the public policy analysis lexicon.