Sahara Foundation, the personal and corporate social responsibility vehicle for Sahara Group, has celebrated its 2021-2022 Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Fellows whose businesses are set to promote sustainable development across Africa.
The Fellows were honoured at the LEAP Africa Social Innovators Programme & Awards (SIPA) ceremony held September 8, 2022, in Lagos, in collaboration with LEAP Africa, Ford Foundation, and Impact Investors Foundation.
Themed, ‘Reawaken, Redesign and Re-emerge: Africa Beyond Potential’, the event drew speakers and panellists from across Africa, Europe, and North America to discuss challenges that impede Africa’s growth and development with a keen focus on social entrepreneurship while providing novel strategies to enable the much-desired transformation.
Speaking at the event, Pearl Uzokwe, Executive Director, Sahara Foundation, lauded the Fellows for their efforts in creating innovations that promote social impact.
She said: “We are excited to be part of this transformative partnership that is committed to bringing sustainable change to the African continent.
“We are also proud of our Fellows who have risen above the structural limitations and social barriers to solve societal problems. I urge you to put your training to good use, think beyond the profit and focus on doing good and doing well,” Uzokwe said.
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Present at the event to receive their awards were 11 SIF Fellows from 7 African countries.
They include Aminu Moses Rex, Michael Osumune, Olawale Thompson, Aliyara Assurance Oluchi, and Oluwamayowa Salu, from Nigeria.
Also awarded were James Thuch Madhier from South Sudan; Ligare Allan Muliru from Kenya; Siwelwa Lazarous from Zambia; Lamin Ceesay from The Gambia; Gadi Banda from Malawi; and Albert Moghomaye from Cameroon.
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, Founder, LEAP Africa, commended the partners for supporting the initiative and reiterated the need for impact investments for social entrepreneurs to scale sustainably.
“We recognise that youth leadership and inclusion are critical to wealth creation and development across the continent.”
Nwuneli commended the African youths for leveraging their entrepreneurial abilities and innovation to solve Africa’s social problems, adding, “LEAP Africa will continue to raise and empower a movement of young African social entrepreneurs and enterprises capable of transforming Africa into the Africa of our dreams.”
Sahara Foundation, through the Sahara Impact Fund (SIF), leverages the LEAP Africa’s Social Innovators Programme to bridge the gap in social innovation and social entrepreneurship, and foster relations amongst African innovators.
