JAPED publishes original research that engages Africa's contemporary political economy, development trajectories, and social transformations. The journal defines "contemporary Africa" as the continent from the early twentieth century onward, encompassing the colonial, independence, and post-independence periods, while welcoming research that situates contemporary conditions within longer historical and civilisational contexts.

The journal takes an explicitly interdisciplinary approach, welcoming contributions from political science, economics, history, sociology, development studies, anthropology, law, philosophy, environmental studies, and related fields insofar as they engage substantively with African realities. JAPED is particularly committed to research that:

- Centres African experiences, data, and analytical frameworks rather than applying externally derived models without adequate contextualisation 

- Raises critical, historically grounded questions about governance, development, and the legacies of colonialism and imperialism 

- Advances alternative and indigenous theoretical frameworks for understanding African political economy 

- Contributes to policy discourse and is relevant to practitioners, policymakers, and civil society actors, as well as to academic audiences 

- Examines the African diaspora and its connections to political economy, development, and cultural transformation on the continent