Introducing a Logo for AfriLabs Member Hubs
It is such an honour to belong to this community of innovation enablers and at the Secretariat, we remain committed to offering you as much value as possible. One of such is the unique identifier for members. To make you stand out as a member, AfriLabs is introducing a unique identification, in the form of a “Hub Member” logo attached herewith for your use at any time without prior permission from the Secretariat. As such, the main AfriLabs logo which is different from the hub member logo can only be used for specific scenarios such as: When AfriLabs partners with a hub for an activity. If AfriLabs is not directly involved in a given activity, then the hub member logo is to be used. When a hub member is executing a project funded or powered by an AfriLabs programme. In such scenarios, the following needs to be adhered to: Send an email to Neena Lekwot copying Ajuma Abah and joshua@afrilabs.com requesting permission to use the main AfriLabs logo. Ensure to state the purpose of usage, providing every necessary detail. (You will be notified if the email addresses for this change at any time). If approved by the Management, an approval via email will be sent to you. Please note that the entire process will take approximately 3 weeks. Arabic: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BqqL0g27jC393mbN4sRpobyUbrGNy9GP/view?usp=share_link English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1smODQiSkflVeDGFZrSsY_WLYFPkFSG2n/view?usp=share_link French: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MGzioz0n8EAACx8wmEORopDj4EsqetGh/view?usp=share_link Portuguese: https://drive.google.com/file/d/116eizsuJZMlHROh6phQQY_0W-xRZXcAu/view?usp=share_link Spanish: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wIhOtXUnRkbkhGwlJ-_5uSnWNc83vVOl/view?usp=share_link
Web 3.0 Africa Information Session
You are invited to a Web 3 information session scheduled to take place on the 9th of February at 11 am GMT via zoom. Web 3.0 is a social enterprise leading the way to the mass adoption of Web 3, XR, and Metaverse technologies in Africa through education. The information session will be centered around Web 3 technology and creating a deeper understanding of the following; The technology, the players, and the opportunities available How to use it to improve financial inclusion and literacy How to create economic opportunity Web 3, components and principles Converting Web 2 skills to Web 3 How to leverage remote work opportunities Using Web 3 to improve your business Using Web 3 to improve your finances and manage inflation Replay the session via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJo4RQWpDvg
Board Election Committee Call for Application
This is an open call for interested women in west and southern Africa to be a part of the electoral committee to enable regional and gender representation as well as provide the necessary experiential support towards ensuring a free and fair election. This year, with the adoption of the new constitution, 8 board positions are up for election which means more demand on the committee to carry out the responsibilities below; Overseeing all tasks carried out throughout the elections period The final approval of election plans and bye-laws laws The review of nominee submissions, and approval/reject the invitations to apply for a board position The review of candidate applications and provide a final verdict for approval/rejection following election guidelines Setting the guidelines for the campaigns of candidates Offering necessary advice and support for a free and fair election Anchoring alongside an existing board member, the election and also declaring the winners based on votes. To be eligible to apply, applicants must; Be an active member of the network for at least 1 year Be a hub Manager or on the Management team of the hub Be willing to dedicate their time and expertise toward the success of the election Not intend to run for any board position for this year (2023) Having electoral experience will be an added advantage. To send in your application please click on the link; Bit.ly/3tt9fuv
AAG2024 Location Bid
We have received your suggestions and paid keen attention to the feedback for hosting the AfriLabs Annual Gathering. To this end, we are happy to announce the opening of the bid for hosting the AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2024. To learn more about hosting the Gathering, Download AAG 2024 Hosting Brochure We look forward to receiving your proposals. For more information or inquiries about the AfriLabs Annual Gathering; please send an email to jen@afrilabs.com and cc: pase@afrilabs.com.
AfriLabs Launches A Novel Digital Engagement Platform for Innovation Enablers in Africa
AfriLabs has launched a digital ecosystem engagement platform – called AfriLabs Connect – to empower the African innovation ecosystem to thrive, accelerate and transform the world. It was unveiled to stakeholders during the recently concluded AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2022. AfriLabs Connect is the digital face of AfriLabs and brings together the largest community of innovation enablers in Africa. Founded to be the solution to the challenges of manually operating the vast AfriLabs network, AfriLabs Connect unites all the stakeholders of the African innovation, technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem digitally to connect, collect, share, collaborate, measure, meet Key Performance Indicators individually and collectively on the web. It provides support and positions the African technology, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem as catalyzers for economic growth, development, and transformation while providing easy access to opportunities. It intends to build upon lessons learned by AfriLabs over the years and leverage the unique competitive advantages that each stakeholder group has to offer in order to build a more vibrant pan-African ecosystem. The platform links startups, hubs, investors, academia, development agencies, corporate organisations, governments and the like on a one-stop domain. By presenting a single window of the entire African Innovation Ecosystem, AfriLabs Connect helps to reduce the risk of investment by providing clean data that becomes the foundation to analyse, interpret and plan the next best action, initiative and policy. There are benefits of joining this platform. From improved brand visibility across the ecosystem to unparalleled access to viable opportunities for growth, among others, the platform provides a vast array of advantages to every stakeholder in the ecosystem. In the short time since its launch, hundreds have signed up. Join them by signing up here: www.africonnect.net. About AfriLabs AfriLabs is a network of Africa-based technology and innovation hubs. Founded in 2011 with a mission to support innovation hubs and their communities to raise high-potential entrepreneurs that will stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa, AfriLabs has become the most diverse community of technology hubs, innovators, and entrepreneurs on the continent. AfriLabs has 400 member hubs across more than 250 African cities and the diaspora, with a broader community of over 1,500,000 entrepreneurs, developers, innovators, and startups, making it the largest community of innovation enablers on the continent. Our mandate is to build a community that will empower a thriving innovation economy in Africa. We achieve this through capacity building, financing, networking, policy advocacy, and providing insightful, reliable data. For several years, AfriLabs has served as a convening body bringing together all the critical stakeholders of the African Innovation and technology ecosystem. Our community comprises corporates, government agencies, the academia, donor agencies and investor groups among others.
AfriLabs & Several Partners from Europe & Africa Commence the ONEPlanET Project
AfriLabs & several partners from Europe & Africa have commenced implementation of the Open source Nexus modeling tools for Planning sustainable Energy Transition (ONEPlanET) project across Africa. The project officially commenced on the 1st of November 2022 with the Kick Off Meeting held on 28th of November 2022 online with all project partners and representatives from the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) in attendance. The project aims at empowering African policy makers, research & academia, investors and citizens with the necessary tools and know-how to increase clean energy generation and sustainable use of resources while reducing inequalities and cultural/socio-economic gaps. ONEPlanET will undertake a participatory approach – in three African case studies: Songwe (Malawi/Tanzania), Inkomati-Usuthu area (South Africa) and Niger (Nigeria) river basins – to co-design and test a Toolkit, built upon existing WEF Nexus models and methodologies, that allows to simulate scenarios optimising existing resources with the most appropriate policies considering social, climate, economic and biophysical constraints. In addition, a Knowledge Hub including a set of capacity building materials and knowledge exchange activities will also be developed. ONEPlanET aims at becoming the Toolkit supporting decision-makers in the energy field in their day-to-day work. It will provide open-source tools, models and materials helping them to make informed decisions, considering social, economic and environmental parameters. Through its WEF Nexus models, ONEPlanET aims at becoming the Toolkit supporting African decision-makers in the energy field in their day-to-day work. It will provide open-source tools, models and materials helping them to make informed decisions, considering social, economic and environmental parameters. The project is being coordinated by RINA Consulting, Italy and brings together 11 multidisciplinary partners from 9 different countries in Europe and Africa, with the intention to connect the knowledge, speed up the implementation of the WEF Nexus modeling approach and capitalise the Project’s outputs. These organisations include Europe: RINA Consulting, Italy, Fundación CARTIF, Spain, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain, Three o’clock, France, Stichting IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy, Stiftelsen the Stockholm Environment Institute, Private Sweden. Africa: University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, AfriLabs, Nigeria, Strathmore University, Kenya, Ecowas Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Public Cape Verde. For this project, AfriLabs will perform the following tasks: Carry out the dissemination and communication activities throughout the duration of the ONEPlanET; Design, launch and manage the ONEPlanET website and communication handles Digital Innovation Portal to provide better infrastructure for the ecosystem; Design communication materials such as graphics, video clips, newsletters and infographics for information dissemination; Create and Engage the stakeholder community throughout the project.
Exciting Opportunities Within The Afrilabs Network This December
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AfriLabs has launched its pioneer digital ecosystem engagement platform called “AfriLabs Connect”!
It was specifically built for all the key stakeholders in the African innovation ecosystem. Are you a startup, hub, investor, development agency, corporate organisation, or any other relevant player in Africa’s innovation economy? Then AfriLabs Connect is for you. AfriLabs Connect presents a single window that connects you to the professional community you need to achieve your business goals. Find out more and sign up for your own account using the QR code at the end of this video or visit www.africonnect.net to register.
AfriLabs joins the Smart Africa Alliance
AfriLabs, the largest Pan-African network of technology and innovation hubs has joined the Smart Africa Alliance in a partnership aimed at guiding and advancing the basic framework to develop the startup ecosystems across the continent. As an international non-profit organisation with the Alliance, AfriLabs will closely support the Smart Africa startup and innovation ecosystem initiatives. ICTs, especially startups, can be a considerable lever of action for African States as they can create wealth and jobs; and improve the efficiency and transparency of the administration, as well as access to basic social services. As part of its mission to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, the Smart Africa Alliance has pledged to develop a master plan for an ecosystem of startups and innovation in Africa in order to support the efforts to update existing policy frameworks in many countries in the continent. This is also part of its flagship projects. Together with AfriLabs, the Smart Africa Alliance aims to guide and develop the basic framework to develop startup ecosystems across the continent. “Innovation and startup ecosystems form a key component of our vision to build a single digital market in Africa. Therefore, welcoming AfriLabs to the alliance is naturally aligned with our objectives and I have no doubt, the Pan-African network for innovation hubs will bring their expertise and experience to sustain our ambition” emphasized Mr. Lacina Koné, CEO/Director General, Smart Africa Secretariat.” “AfriLabs remains committed to supporting the African innovation ecosystem and we are always happy to collaborate with organisations whose vision aligns with ours. Our community is at the heart of all we do. Thus, AfriLabs will continue to offer support, not only to startups – through their hubs which are our members – but also to other stakeholders of the ecosystem such as the Smart Africa Alliance”, said Anna Ekeledo, AfriLabs Executive Director.
AfriLabs and Make-IT in Africa set to foster Intra-Africa collaboration, connectivity and innovation at the 2022 AfriLabs Annual Gathering
AfriLabs and Make-IT in Africa are set to foster intra-Africa collaboration, connectivity and innovation at the 2022 AfriLabs Annual Gathering (AAG). The 2022 AAG, with the theme “Intra-Africa Connectivity, Collaboration and Innovation,” will be held from the 26th to 28th October 2022 at CIELA Resort & Spa, Ngwerere Road, Bonanza Estate, Lusaka, Zambia. AfriLabs and Make-IT in Africa have worked together successfully since 2019 to support local partners in laying solid foundations for robust and resilient innovation ecosystems. In the last decade, AfriLabs has provided a platform for dialogue amongst all stakeholders in the African innovation and technology ecosystem and beyond the continent. Among the ways in which this has been implemented are interventions to empower innovation hubs and support entrepreneurs, as well as collaborative efforts with pan-African institutions and governments in developing innovative policies, capacity-building programs, innovative financing models for entrepreneurs, and research and development. AAG 2022 promises to be exciting as AfriLabs will be launching several new initiatives birthed from the network. One of these is a Policy Pathways framework that outlines ten (10) innovation policy areas for African Governments to contemplate. The AfriLabs Policy Pathways highlights the voices of innovators, entrepreneurs, and hubs across Africa on the 10 policy priorities all parties (governments, multilateral organizations, development agencies, and private businesses) must address to establish a framework that will foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and the digital economy for job creation, economic growth, and prosperity throughout Africa. Register today at www.afrilabsgathering.com About the AfriLabs Annual Gathering The AAG, AfriLabs flagship event, provides an opportunity for technology hubs within the AfriLabs network and other stakeholders of the African technology and innovation ecosystem to convene, network, learn and share knowledge. These stakeholders include but are not limited to corporates, development agencies, academia and investors. The event was first held in Ghana in 2016, then in Egypt in 2017, Tanzania in 2018, Ethiopia in 2019, online in 2020 and Nigeria in 2021. It has brought together over 1000 key stakeholders of the African technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem from the public and private sectors, to network and share knowledge. Zambia won the bid to host the event this year, making it the first country in Southern Africa to have this honour. About GIZ Make-IT in Africa Make-IT in Africa believes in the catalytic power of African innovation and digital technologies for green and sustainable development. In close collaboration with digital visionaries like startups, innovation enablers and political partners, we empower African innovation ecosystems. Together, we aim to strengthen an environment in which the full potential of African digital innovation can unfold. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implements this project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). https://make-it.africa/