The Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, an NGO, has presented over N2.5 million in prize awards to outstanding young social innovators and enterprises for their contributions to sustainable development.
The group stated this on Tuesday in a statement by its Executive Director, Mrs Kehinde Ayeni.
Ayeni said the awards were presented at the 13th edition of the organization’s Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA), held on Oct. 28 in Lagos.
“The awards recognised young entrepreneurs whose innovative initiatives are addressing critical social and economic challenges across communities.
“Young entrepreneurs were creating businesses capable of addressing market and development challenges.
“Access to finance, markets and supportive policies remained critical to the growth and sustainability of youth-led enterprises,” she said.
Ayeni urged investors, policymakers and business leaders to support young entrepreneurs as business drivers capable of contributing significantly to Africa’s economic growth.
She said the continent needed to move beyond viewing young people as beneficiaries of development interventions to recognising their capacity to create economic value.
Rosy Fynn, Country Director, Nigeria, Mastercard Foundation, was quoted as saying that Africa’s prosperity would depend not only on its growing youth population but also on the opportunities available for young people to contribute meaningfully.
Fynn called for financing models that reflected the realities of entrepreneurs and stronger collaboration among stakeholders to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Also speaking, Clare Omatseye, Founder and managing director of JNC International and LEAP Africa Board Chair, was also quoted as saying that supporting social enterprises required more than seed funding.
She stressed the need for stronger institutions, sustainable financing models and policies that would enable young businesses to compete and expand.
Omatseye said creating an environment where young people could generate employment and build sustainable businesses was essential to Africa’s economic future.
Among the awardees was Gbenro Tolulope Theresa of Corp Climate Literacy Programme, who received the Seyi Bickersteth Award for Financial Accountability.
Ibrahim Isah Liman of AgroChill Solutions emerged winner of the Social Enterprise of the Year Award, while Bestman Lilian Amaka of Talent Spotlight Africa Foundation received the Innocent Chukwuma Award for Social Innovation in Southeast Nigeria.
The awards also featured the Outstanding Innovator of the Year category, alongside live business pitches by social entrepreneurs competing for the Most Outstanding Social Innovator of the Year award.
The 2026 SIPA, themed “Africa as the Sector: Maximising Youth Agency for a Prosperous Africa—Leveraging Technology, Finance and Policy,” brought together over 200 young social entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and business leaders.
The event also featured enterprise pitches, investor engagement sessions and discussions on overcoming structural barriers limiting the growth of innovative businesses across Africa.
