- By, Precious Akintulubo, OOU
LEAP Africa in collaboration with the International Youth Foundation and Sahara Foundation is set to celebrate innovators and social entrepreneurs at the 10th Edition of the Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA 2023) which will hold on October 26th and 27th virtually and physically at the Abuja Continental Hotels, Abuja.
This year’s theme, “Maximising Africa’s Potential through Disruptive Leadership and Innovation” seeks to harness the vast, untapped potential within the African continent by fostering innovative thinking and transformative leadership. This, according to the organisers can empower African nations to address complex issues, create economic growth, and improve the overall quality of life for its people.
SIPA 2023 will showcase fellows and alumni from African countries who are shattering barriers and utilising the Global Goals to enhance the quality of lives for diverse communities in Africa.
Some of these innovators have been nurtured on requisite skills and empowered with relevant resources over the past 12 months to scale their enterprise sustainably in the one-year Fellowship and others are being inducted into the Fellowship.
This year’s conference will cover a number of activities including panel sessions, networking sessions, fireside chats, and workshops, led by renowned organizations like Digivate, SME Ng, Impact Investor Foundation, SCALE Palladium, and Pangea.
Speaking on LEAP Africa’s effort to build a community of young change-makers across Africa, the Executive Director, LEAP Africa, Kehinde Ayeni said:
“Over the years, LEAP Africa has consistently proven its role as a catalyst for identifying and unleashing the potential of young individuals in Nigeria and Africa at large. We have achieved this through a variety of programs, such as the SIP (Social Innovators Program) and Awards initiative. This journey has been made possible thanks to the unwavering commitment of our valued partners, including but not limited to, Sahara Foundation, the International Youth Foundation, Ford Foundation, Union Bank and others.
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The highlight of the conference will be the recognition of remarkable fellows who have distinguished themselves during the fellowship year through the following awards categories, Outstanding Fellows Awards,the late Mr. Innocent Chukwuma Awards, the late Mr Seyi Bickersteth Prize winner for financial accountability.
In the past 10 years, the Social Innovators Programme has impacted 276 innovators from 14 countries, trained and connected them to investment opportunities allowing them to raise approximately $7 million in grants and revenue while creating jobs for over 400 unemployed persons. This landmark achievement only challenges the team and organization (including the
entire ecosystem) to expand the frontiers of African innovation and impact investing in ensuring a sustainable Africa is delivered to future generations.