LEAP Africa has announced the 12th edition of its flagship Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA), scheduled for November 25, 2025, at Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos.
This year’s edition will focus on positioning Africa as a global hub for innovation, technology, and policy under the theme “Africa as THE Sector: Maximising Possibilities through Technology, Finance, and Policy.”
The convening will bring together over 200 innovators, policymakers, investors, and private sector leaders from across the continent. SIPA 2025 aims to empower young Africans driving social change, promote cross-sector collaboration, and showcase the continent’s ingenuity on the global stage.
Executive Director of LEAP Africa, Kehinde Ayeni, said the event reaffirms the organisation’s commitment to developing young changemakers. “Africa is not a peripheral player; it is the sector of opportunity, creativity, and transformation. At LEAP Africa, we are intentional about positioning young African innovators as architects of a redefined global order,” she said. “More than a convening, SIPA is a movement that challenges us to believe that Africa’s ingenuity can and must set the agenda for the future.”
Since its inception in 2013, SIPA has become a leading platform for youth empowerment and innovation across Africa. The 2025 edition will feature activities such as a pre-conference mixer connecting funders and innovators, a partner breakfast dialogue encouraging collaboration, and an interactive solution lab unlocking opportunities through technology, finance, and policy innovation.
Speakers expected at the event include Deputy Chief of Party, Entrepreneurist & Investment, Elhadji Malick Soumare (Senegal); Executive Director Naomi Emeka Nwokolo of UN Global Compact Network Nigeria; Country Director Ruby Igwe of ALX Africa; Chief Operating Officer Abimbola Ogundare of Deloitte Africa Consulting; and Regional Heads Karina Karunwi and Awa Daffe of ANDE West Africa and Francophone.
SIPA 2025 is expected to set a new standard for youth-led innovation and empowerment on the continent, inspiring solutions that address systemic challenges and expand inclusive opportunities for African youth.
Through programmes in education, entrepreneurship, employability, active citizenship, and health and wellbeing, LEAP Africa continues to equip young people with the skills and values needed to lead ethically and drive transformation in their communities.
With over one million direct beneficiaries across 26 Nigerian states and eight African countries, LEAP Africa remains a catalyst for youth empowerment and leadership development on the continent.
Since 2013, SIPA has supported more than 290 social entrepreneurs in over 15 African countries, providing mentorship, funding access, and network opportunities to help them scale their impact and sustainability.
The annual SIPA convening continues to bring together innovators, policymakers, and business leaders to co-create solutions and shape the future of social innovation in Africa.
