Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
Four Nigerians have been listed among the inaugural class of 10 changemakers driving bold, community-led solutions across Africa, representing the best of African leadership and innovation across multiple sectors, including health, agriculture, clean energy and more.
The Rockefeller Foundation announced the cohort during its second annual AfricaXchange in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday.
The Foundation launched the inaugural class of Africa Big Bets Fellows who are focused on driving transformational change across the continent during the event.
Ten leaders from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania will participate in an intensive five-month fellowship designed to elevate their innovative solutions for advancing energy access, food security, financial inclusion, economic opportunity, healthcare, climate resilience, migration, and more.
The inaugural Africa Big Bets Fellows cohort marks the 60th anniversary of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Regional Office, which opened in 1966, with the Foundation supporting charitable initiatives across health, food, energy, climate, economic opportunity, and more for over a century.
The first 10 Africa Big Bets Fellows, who were selected from a diverse pool of nominees from the Big Bets network and external partners, will participate in a five-month intensive programme.
With peer learning and access to global networking, the fellowship is designed to help scale their ideas and innovative solutions to advance universal energy abundance, strengthen food security and nutrition, and increase access to healthcare, financial tools, green jobs, real-time data on migration, climate solutions and more.
Two of the 10 were selected from Ghana, including Osei Kwadwo Boateng and Richard Matey, as well as Rosinah Mbenya of Kenya and Nthanda Manduwi of Malawi.
Nigeria has Adédèjì Ọlọ́wẹ̀, Nina Mbah, Stanley Anigbogu and Smart Israel.
Olowe made the cohort for helping millions of Nigerians access fair credit and better financial services by safely unlocking the bank data that can connect people to the financial tools they need.
Mbah is supporting Nigerian communities to choose clean energy by building awareness, sharing trusted stories, and celebrating local champions leading the transition through a reality show series.
Israel is helping Nigerian communities facing displacement and climate stress grow their own fresh food year-round, even where land and water are scarce- by supporting solar-powered farming.
On his part, Anigbogu is bringing clean, reliable electricity to off-grid and refugee communities by building solar-powered hubs from recycled materials where people can charge devices and learn about climate solutions.
South Africa’s only member is Sydelle Willow Smith, while Careen Joel is from Tanzania.
This year’s Africa Big Bets Fellows were announced at the 2026 edition of AfricaXchange — an annual convening of funders, practitioners, and changemakers focused on advancing innovative, locally-led development across the continent.
Hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Regional Office, AfricaXchange 2026 centres on deploying the philanthropic capital needed to drive self-determination.
At its core was a clear ambition: to ensure that Africa’s future is built, financed and led by Africans, a vision captured in this year’s theme, ‘Money, markets, and mindsets.’
In a statement, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, said: “For decades, The Rockefeller Foundation has been honoured to work with the dreamers, leaders, thinkers, scientists, innovators and others who have shaped Africa’s future.
“Through the Africa Big Bets Fellowship, we are backing a new generation of leaders who are scaling ideas that expand opportunity, strengthen resilience and improve lives across Africa.”
Across Africa, communities continue to face barriers to opportunity and resilience, from limited access to energy and finance to growing climate and migration pressures.
Today, approximately 600 million people across the continent live without access to electricity, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the global population without power.
And despite being on the frontlines of the climate crisis, Africa receives only around 12 per cent of global climate finance.
This gap is especially stark given the continent’s vast natural resources. With the right planning and investment, up to 76 per cent of Africa’s energy needs could be met by renewable sources by 2040.
“This year’s Big Bets Fellows reflect the strength of African leadership in tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges,” said William Asiko, Senior Vice-President, Africa Regional Office, The Rockefeller Foundation.
“Their work shows how locally driven innovation across areas such as food systems and clean energy can deliver solutions that are scalable, globally relevant, and improve lives across the continent and beyond.”
For over 110 years, The Rockefeller Foundation has worked in Africa to address critical issues of poverty, health, food security, energy access and economic instability.
Established in 1913, the Foundation was the first U.S. philanthropic organization to engage in extensive health work in Africa.
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