Vision
An Africa where empowered communities lead their own sustainable development through quality education, climate resilience, innovation, and responsible stewardship of resources, leaving no one behind.
Mission
To transform the way sustainable development is delivered in Africa by localizing the Sustainable Development Goals through community led action, quality education, climate resilience, youth empowerment, innovation, strategic partnerships, and responsible stewardship of resources that create measurable and lasting impact.
Our Story
NextGen African Empowerment and Development Network was born from years of volunteering, learning, and serving communities. Founders Lawal Aminu Saleh, Abdulsalam Bashir Atiku, and Anas Abdulkadir began as youth leaders and SDG advocates — Abdulsalam as his campus's pioneer SDGs Coordinator, Anas as pioneer Project Manager, and Lawal leading the UMYU GoogleDev Hub. After graduating, they continued volunteering with development partners, but came to believe development needed an institution rooted in community ownership, transparency, accountability, and efficient use of resources. A defining moment came through the Nigeria Learning Passport initiative, which sparked deeper conversations about the barriers to quality education and the need to make the Sustainable Development Goals meaningful at the local level. These conversations led to NextGen's founding: a simple but ambitious belief that sustainable development should be experienced in classrooms, communities, and daily life — not just policy documents. Today, NextGen localizes the SDGs through community led initiatives in education, climate action, and youth and community empowerment.
Founding Philosophy
What we believe
Building Communities, Not Just Projects
NextGen was founded on the belief that sustainable development cannot be achieved by implementing projects alone. Lasting change happens when communities become active participants in identifying challenges, designing solutions, implementing interventions, and sustaining results.
Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals are more than global commitments; they are practical aspirations that should improve everyday life in every community. NextGen exists to bridge the gap between global development goals and local realities by translating the SDGs into practical, measurable, and community led actions that respond to local needs.
Education as the Foundation of Development
We believe that education is the foundation upon which every thriving society is built. When children, especially girls and other underserved learners, have access to quality education, communities become healthier, economies become stronger, and institutions become more accountable.
Responsible Stewardship of Resources
Every resource entrusted to NextGen carries a responsibility. Whether financial, human, material, or technical, resources should be managed with integrity, transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
Community Ownership Creates Sustainability
Communities understand their own realities better than anyone else. NextGen works alongside communities rather than merely delivering services to them, promoting participation, local leadership, and shared responsibility so communities can sustain positive change long after individual projects have ended.
Climate Action Through Education and Community Engagement
Climate change affects education, livelihoods, health, and economic opportunity. By promoting climate education, environmental stewardship, and locally appropriate solutions, we aim to prepare communities, especially young people, to become responsible custodians of their environment.
Youth as Partners in Development
Young people are not merely beneficiaries of development; they are innovators, leaders, and agents of change. NextGen invests in young people's leadership, skills, creativity, and civic participation, recognizing that Africa's future depends on empowering the next generation.
Core Values
How we operate
Integrity
We believe trust is the foundation of sustainable development.
We conduct our work with honesty, transparency, ethical leadership, and accountability. We ensure that every decision and every resource entrusted to us is managed responsibly and in the best interest of the communities we serve.
Community Ownership
Sustainable development is strongest when communities lead their own development.
We work alongside communities, respecting their knowledge, priorities, and leadership while strengthening their capacity to design, implement, and sustain solutions.
Innovation
Complex challenges require creative and practical solutions.
We encourage innovation, embrace new ideas, leverage technology, and continuously improve our approaches to localizing the Sustainable Development Goals and serving communities more effectively.
Inclusion
Sustainable development leaves no one behind.
We promote equal opportunity, respect diversity, and ensure meaningful participation of women, girls, young people, persons with disabilities, and other underserved populations in all aspects of our work.
Collaboration
Lasting impact is achieved through partnership and collective action.
We build trusted relationships with communities, governments, civil society organizations, academic institutions, development partners, and the private sector to achieve shared goals and maximize impact.
Team
Founders
Lawal Aminu Saleh
Co-Founder
Abdulsalam Bashir Atiku
Co-Founder
Anas Abdulkadir
Co-Founder