Sahara Group Foundation (SGF), the charitable arm of Sahara Group, has disbursed more than $130,000 to 20 exceptional African innovators through its flagship Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Cohort 4 and the Making A Difference Around Africa (MADAA) programmes.
Chidilim Menakaya, Director of the Foundation, revealed this during the awards ceremony held at a Gala Night on Wednesday in Lagos.
She noted that for nearly 20 years, the Foundation has acted as a driving force for sustainable development on the continent, committing resources to entrepreneurship, environmental responsibility, innovation, and community advancement.
According to her, the 2025 cycles of SIF and MADAA were redesigned after insights from previous editions highlighted an expanding gap between early-stage innovation and market readiness in Africa.
“By intentionally aligning MADAA and SIF, the Foundation has created a unified innovation pathway that removes obstacles, strengthens capabilities, and supports long-term growth beyond the grant period,” she said.
Menakaya added, “Through the revitalised Sahara Impact Fund and the enhanced MADAA programme, we are bridging the stages of discovery, support, and scale.
“These improvements reinforce our mission to identify high-potential changemakers, equip them with essential skills, and provide realistic channels for building sustainable solutions.
“This integrated model guarantees that promising EXTRApreneurs have a clear and well-supported structure for delivering measurable impact in their communities.”
Programme Supervisor Mr. David Ayinde added that the Foundation’s efforts extend far beyond funding.
“We have developed a capacity-building and business advisory framework that provides our EXTRApreneurs with market intelligence, financial planning skills, governance structures, and commercial readiness to grow sustainably across African markets,” he said.
Encouraging the recipients, Dr. Kola Adesina, Executive Director at Sahara Group, urged them to cultivate resilience, discipline, and innovation to drive transformation across the continent and position their ventures for global expansion.
Another Executive Director, Mr. Ade Odunsi, stated that the 2025 programme attracted almost 2,000 applications across Africa, demonstrating the continent’s strong pipeline of innovation.
He said about 300 applicants were shortlisted for an intensive workshop facilitated by Sahara Group experts, covering strategy, sustainability, governance, communication, commercial management, and legal and financial compliance.
Twenty top-performing EXTRApreneurs progressed to the Business Advisory Bootcamp and the Sahara M.A.D Den in Lagos, where they received grant support.
NAN reports that the $10,000 grant recipients include Chinwendu Augustina Nweke (Nigeria), Elvis Kadhama (Uganda), Violet Awo Amoabeng (Ghana), Tracey Shiundu (Kenya), Salma Medhat (Egypt), Anita Nsiah Donkor (Ghana), Dr. Sisay Abebe (Ethiopia), Kedumetse Liphi (Botswana), Ernest Mongezi Majenge (South Africa), and Joan Rukundo Nalubega (Uganda).
Recipients of the $5,000 grants are Eunice Adewale, Henry Danwawo Lamba, Johnson Obute, Abraham Ugbenja Iborchan, and Brian Okeyo from Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.
Those awarded $1,000 include Jide Ayegbusi, David Ssembajjwe, Mojola Ola, Abiodun Quadri, and Fasanya Samuel Akinpelumi.
In total, the Foundation says the awards represent a renewed commitment to strengthening Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and accelerating impact-driven innovation across the continent.