Who we are?

AfriLabs was founded in 2011 to build a community around rapidly emerging tech hubs―innovation spaces that serve as meeting points and communities for developers, entrepreneurs, and investors.

We believe that supporting the development of the African technology and innovation ecosystem enables Africa to participate in the global knowledge and innovation market place thereby stimulating economic growth.

VISION

A thriving innovation economy in Africa, driven by the power of our community.

MISSION

To support innovation hubs and their communities to raise high potential entrepreneurs that will stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa. We achieve this through capacity building, financing, networking, policy advocacy, and providing insightful, reliable data

Our Values

UBUNTU

We believe in shared experience and collaboration. Our work is made possible and better through the strength of our community and partners, and our combined desire to see a thriving innovation economy in Africa driven by the power of our community. Our impact is only felt because it feeds into the impact of those we work with. We participate where we can make a significant contribution.

WE EXPERIMENT AND WE ARE CURIOUS

We relentlessly try and test solutions in a quest to serve our ecosystem better. Many times we succeed, but sometimes we fail. When we fail, we learn and move forward with an evidence base that makes us better.

WE ARE PAN AFRICAN

We are dedicated to the dignity of the people of Africa on the African continent and in the diaspora. Our primary interest is in the prosperity of our people. Our reach is far and wide. We are working towards an Africa whose leadership, resources and resilience work towards a flourishing continent and economically empowered citizens.

OUR HUBS COME FIRST

If it does not work for our community we won’t do it. Our community is at the heart of everything we do. The way we work, the people and organisations we interact with and the programmes we design are all primarily to strengthen the communities in our hubs.

WE DO THE RIGHT THING

We are committed to achieving our mission by always doing the right thing. We believe that by infusing professionalism, excellence, transparency and integrity into all our offerings, we ensure high-quality products and services, attract the right talent and impact society with the right organisations.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

We believe that great ideas can come from anywhere. We pride ourselves in being a neutral space that serves as a nexus point for all technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystem members like governments, development agencies, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and investors to interact directly with hubs.

WE DRIVE IMPACT

While putting our hubs first and embracing an open innovation culture, we work to ensure that our work is measurable and drives change at scale. If we impact our hubs positively then they impact their innovators positively and these innovators impact their communities. Our work only means as much as the positive change it drives.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY

What we do?

Management Team

ANNA EKELEDO

Executive Director

TEMITOPE ISEDOWO

Director of Programmes

NEKESA WERE

Director of Strategy

NANKO MADU

Senior Programmes Manager, AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme

FADILAH TCHOUMBA

Senior Programmes Manager Catalyst

RAHEL CHUKWU

Operations, Human Resources & Francophone Engagement Manager

JENNIFER OKEKE-OJIUDU

Ecosystem Events Manager

VICTORIA EZE

Finance Manager

PATRICK ASHU

Programmes Manager

KENECHUKWU CHUKWU

Member Services Manager

JOSHUA OMENA .A.

Communications Manager

OMONE TESSY OKOLO

Senior Executive Officer to the Executive Director

Our Board

Board Chair

REBECCA ENONCHONG

ActivSpaces – AppsTech

Board of Directors

MOETAZ HELMY

Co-Founder of kmt house, Egypt

TAKUNDA CHINGONZO

Founder, Tech Village Innovation Hub, Zimbabwe

FATOUMATA NIANG NIOX

Executive Director of Jokkolabs Dakar, Senegal

KUDZAI M.MUBAIWA

Founder of iZone Hub, Zimbabwe

DANIEL CHINAGOZI

Founder and CEO of Innovation Growth Hub, Nigeria

LINDA KWAMBOKA

Entrepreneur in-residence at Strathmore University and Manager at iBizAfrica, Kenya

AfriLabs advisory roles

Member of Advisory board, Africa Europe Innovation Partner

The Africa-Europe Innovation Partnership aims to support and connect innovation and technology incubators and accelerators in tapping into new markets, find their trusted partner across the Mediterranean as well as build new perspectives, knowledge and networks. Incubators, accelerators and technology transfer offices play a key role in fostering the development of innovative enterprises.

Founding Member, Digital Africa

Digital Africa brings together a community of partners in Africa’s tech ecosystem. This alliance of committed partners which AfriLabs is a part of has led to the emergence of a highly effective and collaborative ecosystem supporting Africa’s innovative entrepreneurs.

Member of Strategy Group on Digital, Africa Europe Foundation - Friends of Europe

The Africa Europe Foundation Strategy Groups are mandated to build a commonality of purpose from the complexity of diverging perspectives and approaches across priority domains of partnership; enlarge the Africa-Europe partnership to new and diverse actors; unlock dormant opportunities; leverage joint partnership action; open up space for fresh policy thinking, strategic foresight and a holistic rethink of critical sectors for multilateral cooperation; and reinforce Africa-EU on the international stage.

Consortium Member, LEAP-RE

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN for the 2015-2030 period intends to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda, Goal 7 is fully dedicated to energy, with the objective of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Yet, much remains to be done before renewable energy is the main source of power in Africa and Europe. For 5 years (2020-2025), the LEAP-RE programme will seek to create a long-term partnership of African and European stakeholders in a quadruple helix approach: government (programme owners and funding agencies), research and academia, private sector, and civil society.

Member of African European Digital Innovation Bridge – AEDIB

African European Digital Innovation Bridge – AEDIB aims to connect and develop digital innovation ecosystems in Africa and Europe, thereby creating high-quality solutions for SDG challenges and boosting a resilient digital economy.