VERTICAL 7 — INFRASTRUCTURE · PHASE 2
The most important infrastructure is invisible. Nobody notices the pipes until they leak, the platform until it goes down, or the coordination system until it fails. In 2025, AfriLabs invested in the infrastructure that holds everything else up.
The Network as Backbone
supported talent development through the Business Process Outsourcing programme.
AfriLabs reached 528 innovation hubs operating across 232 cities in 53 countries - with 336 hubs actively engaged in programmes, learning opportunities, and network activities during the year. The scale of this footprint is only meaningful if it is connected. That is what Member Services built in 2025: structured onboarding for new hubs, Listening Tours that engaged 172 representatives from 28 countries and produced six community insight reports, and expanded use of AfriConnect and ACDR as consistent, scalable infrastructure for communication and collaboration across the network.
Across the network, webinars and masterclasses reached more than 600 participants from over 35 countries. The Member Services team facilitated access to 37 funding, learning, and delegation opportunities for member hubs - not by providing financial support directly, but by building the coordination infrastructure that makes opportunity accessible.
Further Programme Reach in 2025
AfriLabs’ 17 programmes in 2025 extended beyond the flagship initiatives covered in the vertical chapters. The GCA (Global Center on Adaption) Youth Adaptation Challenge - Francophone Cohort - supported young people across French-speaking Africa in building climate adaptation solutions, directly reinforcing the Environmental Resilience vertical. The United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) Incubation Programme supported reproductive health and population-focused innovation, advancing both the Health and Gender verticals simultaneously. Meanwhile, the African- Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP) strengthened collaboration corridors
Digital Platforms That Extend Reach
The Ukamili Digital City project strengthened digital city infrastructure in partnership with National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), whose collaboration at GITEX Nigeria highlighted AfriLabs’ ability to turn high-level engagement into tangible startup opportunities. Meanwhile, the partnership with the African Telecommunications Union expanded access to digital infrastructure and
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AfriLabs Annual Report 2025
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