Rise Up Together Launches Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator to Advance Gender Equity in Nigeria

Rise Up Together, a global social impact advocacy organisation, has launched its 2025 Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator, a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening gender equity and justice in Nigeria.

Supported by Cummins Inc., the programme will equip 25 civil society leaders from the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers, Anambra, Kaduna, and Nasarawa States with the knowledge, skills, and tools to advance the rights of women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people.

Scheduled for 16 to 22 November, the week-long Accelerator is a globally recognised programme that focuses on leadership, advocacy, policy change, and movement-building. Participants will learn strategies to expand access to health, education, and economic opportunities through improved laws, policies, and programmes.

According to Theresa Effa, Country Director of Rise Up Together Nigeria, the initiative comes at a critical time when local leaders are driving key interventions for women and girls.

“Nigeria is blessed with extraordinary civil society leaders who are tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing women and girls. Rise Up Together invests in their vision and leadership, amplifying their voices and equipping them to create lasting systemic change,” Effa said.

After completing the Accelerator, participants will be eligible to apply for competitive grants to implement locally led advocacy projects in areas such as economic inclusion, education, healthcare access, and women’s rights.

Rise Up Together highlighted the success of 2018 alumna Nsini Udonta as evidence of the programme’s long-term impact. Udonta leveraged her training and grant support to expand Project Alert on Violence Against Women, helping protect an estimated 4.5 million women and girls in Lagos through fast-tracked domestic violence cases.

Dr. Nawani Aboki, Executive Director of the Centre for Women, Youth and Community Action and a facilitator for the 2025 Accelerator, said, “The energy, creativity, and dedication I’ve seen from Nigerian leaders is truly inspiring. They are poised to lead transformative change that will be felt for generations.”

The 2025 Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator reflects Rise Up Together’s commitment to developing local leadership capable of creating systemic, sustainable change in the lives of women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people across Nigeria.