CHAPTERS - West Africa
West Africa

The West Africa chapter is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, and working across the region, but most active in Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire.

About the chapter
The West Africa chapter envisions a thriving ecosystem for SGBs across the region.

Its goal is to create an inclusive platform for all stakeholders and leverage ANDE’s global connections within the local network through collaboration and relationship building, convenings, and knowledge sharing.

Chapter Activities

Networking and fostering connections: Regular chapter events, both formal and informal, provide time for ANDE members to network, learn, and share best practices. They include member meetings, happy hours, webinars, roundtables, and workshops on different themes. We also facilitate tailored introductions and connections among members to foster collaborations and partnerships among practitioners in the SGB ecosystem and strengthen the ecosystem through the region.

Knowledge sharing: The chapter shares regular updates, including upcoming opportunities, events, and publications, with SGB stakeholders active in the region through a public newsletter, chapter updates for members, and regular promotion on our social media and other channels. We are always eager to partner to tell the story of SGBs and our members’ work.

Research: Our research initiatives build the knowledge base for SGB support organizations to improve their effectiveness and create thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems. ANDE conducts both high level and specialized regional research on SGB networks and trends, which provide major value to our members. Some of our recent research work relevant to the region includes entrepreneurial ecosystem snapshots in Ghana and Nigeria, and region-wide research on impact investing, incubators and accelerators.

Funding: ANDE provides regular funding opportunities to both members and non-members to both drive greater resources to organizations supporting SGBs in developing economies and ensure ANDE member expertise is leveraged efficiently. Funding opportunities are meant to spur more creative and collaborative investments in SGBs and uncover how SGBs contribute to poverty alleviation and economic growth. Recent opportunities in the region include the ANDE-IDRC Joint Call for Expressions of Interest on the experience of women entrepreneurs participating in venture accelerator programs.

Learning and training: The chapter convenes learning groups on various topics, including metrics and impact, youth and talent, and SGB finance, and has led trainings on metrics, talent development, gender equality, investment management, impact investing, and more. ANDE has a particular focus on promoting impact measurement and management among the network. We encourage knowledge sharing, support the adoption of a common language to measure performance, and encourage exploration of new methods and tools to enable more efficient and useful measurement practices.

ANDE has 112 members working in West Africa.
Flagship event
West Africa Regional Conference

This two-day, highly interactive conference aims to connect local and international ANDE members and partners working in or with interest in West Africa; promote best practice ideas for the development of the SGB sector; feature practitioner-led breakout sessions on issues such as policy, gender lens, impact measurement, and impact investment; discuss changes in the West African entrepreneurial ecosystem and potential opportunities which actors need to prepare for; and sustain the growing network of West African SGB support providers as a platform for promotion, networking and collaboration.

Learn more about the 2021 conference
Chapter Groups
Chapter Staff
Chapter Head, West Africa
Operations Coordinator, West Africa
Program Associate, West Africa
Chapter Steering Committee