Idea generation is a creative process that helps formulate new ideas or concepts and transform intangible ideas into concrete action. This process is also called thinking. Idea generation involves coming up with ideas in a group, finding ways to use these ideas, and then translating those ideas into practical situations.

The purpose of generating new ideas is to improve the existing ones and bring something new. More often than not when trying to solve a problem or approach a new opportunity, people use existing solutions or mental models instead of trying to come up with new solutions. The African Leadership Academy is a project to make this vision a reality.

By engaging in research, think tank work, and consulting activities, the academy facilitates the process of entering into institution-building by organizing ideas. For this purpose, more than twelve idea-generation centers will be established. Some of them are as follows: