Innovative technology is transforming the social sector space in Nigeria

Nigeria's foundation and philanthropy sector, at a glance:

Number of foundations:

Foundations in Nigeria are both grant making and grant seeking; some have registered their organisations and others have not legally registered their organisations with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

• 40–45 private philanthropists, who are in the business of giving funds
• 50 private and corporate foundations that are grantmakers

Source: Philanthropy Circuit

Main umbrella bodies:
African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, established in August 2018 (Philanthropy – finance, human and intellectual capital)
Nigerian Network of Non-Governmental Organisations, established in 1987 (mainly Social Purpose Organisations, which are grantseeking)

State of the sector:
Fragmented and disconnected within thematic areas

Biggest opportunity in the sector:
The power of partnerships to leverage resources coupled with the willingness of the wealthy African elites to give back to society within an enabling environment

Biggest challenge for the sector:
Difficulty of doing business … ease of doing business (philanthropists have to go through major hoops to provide grants)

13. August 2019

Interview with Oluwatoyin (Toyin) Adegbite-Moore, Executive Director, West Africa, African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA)

Toyin, what are the three broad issues that will drive Nigeria's foundation and philanthropy sector in the next 10 years?
The Philanthropic Sector in Nigeria will focus on the following the broad issues: youth unemployment, population growth and healthcare.

Which topics do you expect philanthropy to focus on?
The topics will include education, gender related issues and other youth-focused activities.

What is traditional philanthropy in Nigeria, and how do you expect this to develop in the future?
In Nigeria, traditional philanthropy is seen as charity, which is intrinsically linked with our cultures. We need more ecosystem facilitators, builders and conveners like the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance to help define and set the tone by building local capacity and knowledge about philanthropy.

What role will philanthropy take?
Philanthropy will take on a huge role with the power of partnerships between the public, private and social sectors. It is increasingly clear to the government that they must create an enabling environment for social purpose organisations and enterprises to flourish and thereby address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Will  Nigeria’s philanthropy be more nationally focused, or will it also be regional and global?
I believe Nigeria’s philanthropy will be more nationally focused first. There are so many social challenges across our nation and with the need to increasing daily, the focus must be on the nation.

Is there any other subject which you consider as vital for the sector?
The other subject that is vital is innovative technology, which is transforming the social sector space. There are Fintech, Agritech, Medtech and Edutech social entrepreneurs in Nigeria providing tools, products and services that are transforming the conditions and prospects of lives.

Are there some developments we are not yet aware of at an international level, but which you see coming along in the future?
Some developments include increased career opportunities in the fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability officers. There is also a huge awakening to the power of capacity building in the area of emotional and cultural intelligence.

If people want to get informed about news and trends in the sector in Nigeria, where can they find this information?

Compiled by the EZ-Scout seconded to the Association of German Foundations