Application Deadline: May 29, 2024
Applications are now open for the 2024 LEAP Africa’s Social Innovators Programme. In 2004, LEAP Africa came to the realization that while negative reports of youth restiveness and crimes were widespread in local and foreign media, the positive contributions of young Nigerians towards national transformation were unrecognized.
This understanding birthed the Annual Nigerian Youth Leadership Awards (ANYLA); which was hosted annually in Lagos, Nigeria, to celebrate the youth driving these contributions.
After about a decade, LEAP Africa realized that while Nigeria had witnessed increased youth interest in social innovation, many of them lacked the essential skills and support to establish effective and sustainable initiatives that could accelerate the transformation.
Therefore, in 2013, the programme was redefined to bridge this gap into a yearlong fellowship- Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA).
The Social Innovators Programme
The Social Innovators Programme honors young changemakers by equipping and empowering them with the necessary skills and resources for establishing long-term social enterprises.
Eligibility Requirements
Citizenship/Residency:
You must meet one of the criteria below:
You are a citizen of an African nation OR
You are a permanent resident of an African nation.
Geographic Focus: Your current and future enterprise is geographically located in a local community in an African nation.
Leadership Experience: You have founded or co-founded a social venture(s) with at least one (1) year of impact.
Age: You will be between 18 – and 35-years-old on February 20th, 2023.
Language Proficiency: You are professionally proficient in English (spoken and written). applications must be completed in English.
Program Commitment: You can commit to fully participating in the entire duration of the program between February 20th and October 26, 2023, which may include an in-person site visits in late June or early July, and up to 12 hours of virtual learning per month.
Session
- The Social Innovators Programme is designed to build capacity, connections and credibility for social innovators. This is achieved through a 5-day physical enterprise sustainability workshop, virtual Coaching and networking Calls; Immersive one-on-one Mentoring session; Monthly virtual webinar sessions and site visits.
- All sessions are mandatory, exemption from a session must be made with prior notice to the SIP team. Full participation in these sessions would determine graduation from the fellowship.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the LEAP Africa’s Social Innovators Programme (SIPA)