Since 2017 · Registered in Nigeria · Fellows across Africa
Don't just tell us about impact. Show us.
Nine years of building African changemakers, and the evidence behind it. Here is what ACi has done, what we are doing now, and where your support goes.
Fund a FellowSee the evidenceDownload the impact reportImage brief: a wide, candid shot of a cohort of young and mid-career African professionals on a video call grid, plus one in-person moment of them meeting for the first time, gold and orange light, emotion and pride. Real people only.
Africa has the talent. It needs the path.
Every year, capable young Africans, women and girls run out of road. Not because they lack ideas or will, but because nobody gave them the training, the mentor, the network or the first real problem to solve.
For nine years ACi has put that path in front of people across the continent and the diaspora: learning that is built for Africa, mentors who have done it, and a community that stays with you after the certificate.
A gift to ACi does not pay for a course. It pays for a person to become able to change something, and for what they build next.
At a glance
Facts we can evidence today, and the figures we are auditing before we publish them.
Headline figures. Publishing after audit.
How we count
- Fellow: a person who completed a full Fellowship cohort.
- Alumnus: a Fellow who has graduated and joined the network.
- Mentee: a person matched with a mentor and met at least [__] times.
- Reach: a person who took part in an ACi programme, event or challenge, counted once, with a record.
- Every figure on this page names its source and the date it was last checked.
Nine years of milestones
ACi is founded
Founded by Olutope Olatilewa Egbetokun (Lady Topsie) as a platform for African changemakers.
Cohort 1 and the first mentorship programme
The first six-week Fellowship cohort. The first issue of African ChangeMakers Magazine in May.
Growing the community
Fellowship Cohort 3, the ACLeads conference, and our founder selected as one of 150 changemakers in AFLI's Project Pakati.
Registered and recognised
Registered with Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission. Fellowship Cohort 4 goes fully online. ACi wins the #EQUALSinTech Award, Leadership in SME category.
Conferences, awards and girls' mentoring
ACLeads2021, the #ACiAwards and #WOMENtoringGIRLS Week.
Cohort 6
The Fellowship runs online across Africa, June to July.
Cohort 7
A five-week virtual cohort for changemakers aged 21 to 40, from any of the 54 African countries and the diaspora.
ACi 2.0
An AI-native Fellowship, real-world Changemaker Challenges, and a network that keeps growing with its people.
What we do
Fellowship
An AI-native, project-led programme that builds changemakers.
Mentorship
Experience matched to potential.
Changemaker Challenges
Real problems become real projects.
Women and Girls
Leadership, digital capability and economic agency.
Network
Alumni, mentors and ambassadors across borders.
Future Africa
Research and intelligence on Africa's next decade.
Recognised. Registered. Accountable.
#EQUALSinTech Award
Leadership in SME category, for empowering women and girls through digital technology.
100 Women Creating a Better Africa
Recognised by We For Good.
World Pulse Digital Ambassador
Named for work on digital inclusion for women.
AFLI Project Pakati
One of 150 changemakers selected across Africa.
Vital Voices Fellow · Ashoka Changemakers Scholar
Global leadership networks that open doors for ACi Fellows.
Registered in Nigeria
Corporate Trustee, Corporate Affairs Commission, 2020.
Registration no: [__]
Annual report: [link to be added] · Audited accounts: [link to be added]
Where our Fellows come from
All 54 African countries. And the African diaspora, wherever in the world they live.
North Africa · 6
West Africa · 15
Central Africa · 9
East Africa · 14
Southern Africa · 10
The African Diaspora
Africans living outside the continent who choose to build, lead and give back to it. They are Fellows, mentors and ambassadors, and they are Africa's longest bridge to the rest of the world.
Countries of residence: [__]
Where our Fellows come from
All 54 African countries. And the African diaspora, wherever in the world they live.
North Africa · 6
West Africa · 15
Central Africa · 9
East Africa · 14
Southern Africa · 10
The African Diaspora
Africans living outside the continent who choose to build, lead and give back to it. They are Fellows, mentors and ambassadors, and they are Africa's longest bridge to the rest of the world.
Countries of residence: [__]
Impact stories
Every story follows the same five steps, so you can see what changed and how we know.
- Story 1
- [Fellow name · Country · Cohort]
- Problem
- [ ]
- Intervention
- [ ]
- People
- [ ]
- Action
- [ ]
- Evidence
- [ ]
- Story 2
- [Fellow name · Country · Cohort]
- Problem
- [ ]
- Intervention
- [ ]
- People
- [ ]
- Action
- [ ]
- Evidence
- [ ]
- Story 3
- [Fellow name · Country · Cohort]
- Problem
- [ ]
- Intervention
- [ ]
- People
- [ ]
- Action
- [ ]
- Evidence
- [ ]
Our work in pictures
Cohorts, conferences, awards and the people behind them.
In their words
"With proper guidance, support and mentorship, African youths are ready to make the difference any day any time."
Philip Kirme Velshik · ACi Fellow, Cohort 2 · Nigeria"This past one month has been an awesome, timely, revealing, educative and capacity building experience."
Bioku Precious Oluwasemilore · Nigeria"The program has educated me how to set attainable goals that I could achieve."
Sasaki Vannisa · UgandaWhere we are. Where we are going.
Rebuilding for the AI age
A new ACi: the Changemaker Operating System, an AI-native Fellowship, Changemaker Challenges and a stronger network.
The flagship pilot
The 10-week ACi Changemaker Fellowship, launched as a founding cohort.
Goal: [__] Fellows, [__] mentors, [__] challenges.
Scale what works
More cohorts, more challenge partners, more countries.
Goal: [__]
The changemaker ecosystem
A living network of Fellows, mentors, partners and institutions building Africa's next chapter.
Where your support goes
$300
Sponsors one Professional Fellowship place, with a named feature.
$1,500
Fully funds five Professional Fellowship places, with named recognition.
Custom
Sponsors an entire cohort of 20 to 30 Fellows.
Custom
Co-create a challenge, a cohort or a country programme.
What sponsors receive
- Logo on ACi Fellowship materials and certificates
- Sponsored Fellow profile feature in ACi media
- Recognition across all ACi platforms
- Access to the alumni network for talent discovery
- VIP invitation to the annual summit and awards
- Association with a community across Africa
Our accountability standard
- Every sponsor sees who they funded and what they built
- Every figure is sourced and dated
- An annual impact report, published
- Breakdown of how funds are used: [__]
Help us build the people
who build Africa.
Become a sponsorDownload the prospectus
Partnerships
info@africanchangemakers.org · +234 813 899 7153
Ibusa House, 5B Sunday Ogunyade Street, Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria
Image brief: silhouetted group of young and senior Africans at dawn on a hilltop above a glowing city, gold and orange horizon.