ABOUT ANNA
The work. The vision.
The journey.
Anna Ekeledo is one of Africa’s most recognised figures in innovation, digital economy, technology policy, and— increasingly— intra-African trade and industrialisation. Over more than a decade of practice, she has built networks, shaped policy, grown institutions, and represented the continent at the highest levels of global discourse. Her work is defined not by a single role or achievement, but by a sustained, deliberate commitment to building the systems and markets that let Africa trade with itself, add value to what it produces, and industrialise on its own terms
ROOTS & IDEOLOGY
The Foundation
Anna’s path is rooted in a rich, cross-cultural upbringing. Born to Nigerian and Senegalese parents, and raised across Western and North Central Nigeria and Senegal, she developed an early fluency in navigating complexity across cultures and contexts. This shaped her instinct for finding common ground and building bridges where others see barriers.
She holds a First-Class degree in Psychology from Covenant University, Nigeria, and an MSc in International Marketing Management from Leeds University Business School, UK. These disciplines continue to inform how she thinks about ecosystems, leadership, and economic and social development.
WORK & IMPACT
Career journey
Anna Ekeledo is one of Africa’s most recognised figures in innovation, digital economy, technology policy, and ecosystem development. Over more than a decade of practice, she has built networks, shaped policy, grown institutions, and represented the continent at the highest levels of global discourse. Her work is defined not by a single role or achievement, but by a sustained and deliberate commitment to advancing Africa’s digital economy through strong systems and markets.
Her early work was pioneering. She advanced digital payments and financial inclusion in Nigeria at a time when most of the population was unbanked, helping lay the foundation for today’s fintech ecosystem—while championing technology-enabled business growth and digital education long before either became mainstream.
Her appointment as Executive Director of AfriLabs in 2016 marked a turning point—not just in her career, but in the trajectory of one of Africa’s most important innovation institutions. Over nearly a decade, she grew AfriLabs’ reach, deepened its policy influence, and made it a trusted partner to governments and private sector players advancing Africa’s digital economy and, increasingly, its trade and industrial agenda. Alongside this, she served as Regional Innovation Lead for Africa at the EdTech Hub and held an advisory role with Technopolis Group Amsterdam, expanding her reach into European innovation policy.
In May 2026, Anna transitioned to Executive Director Emerita of AfriLabs—a recognition of nearly a decade of institution-building. She now supports AfriLabs’ new leadership and the incoming AfriLabs Advisory Council, alongside advisory work, board leadership, and driving conversations on intra-African trade and industrialisation—including as host of the Trade and Industry Track at the 11th AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Cotonou, Benin Republic, 2026.
NETWORKING
The Reach
Anna Ekeledo’s influence spans continents, institutions, and sectors—reflecting both the scale of her leadership and the depth of her global reach. As the driving force behind AfriLabs’ growth, she built and stewarded one of the world’s largest networks of innovation hubs, connecting over 500 hubs across 53 countries and shaping the trajectory of entrepreneurship, technology, and digital economies across the continent.
Beyond AfriLabs, Anna’s reach extends into some of the world’s most influential multilateral and policy-shaping platforms. She serves in advisory and board roles with leading global institutions, including UNDP timbuktoo Africa, the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovation and Impact Council, the Africa-Europe Innovation Partnership of the European Commission, the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), Nigeria’s Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council under the Office of the Vice President, and the Africa Creatives Alliance, where she is a Founding Board Member helping connect Africa’s creative economy to continental and global markets under AfCFTA.
Her influence is further reinforced by a strong track record of building strategic relationships with governments, development finance institutions, and multilateral organisations—shaping policies, unlocking funding, and designing ecosystem-level interventions that enable innovation and inclusive growth at scale.
HOW & WHY
The Vison
Anna believes Africa’s transformation will be built not through technology alone, but through the trade corridors, industrial capacity, institutions, and people that determine whether innovation creates lasting value. AfCFTA gave the continent the architecture for a single market — the work now is implementation.
That means moving goods, capital, and ideas across borders; building the manufacturing and value-addition base that keeps that value on the continent; and dismantling the regulatory and logistical barriers that still hold businesses back — barriers she has worked to clear firsthand. She brings this conviction to every stage, board, and partnership she takes on, including as host of the Trade and Industry Track at the 11th AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Cotonou, Benin Republic, 2026.
RECOGNITION
Awards & Recognition
Anna’s leadership has been recognised by some of the world’s most influential platforms
for economic and technology leadership.