#BellaNaijaWCW Simi Olusola is Tackling Inequality in Nigeria with Aspilos Foundation

For our #BellaNaijaWCW feature this week, we shine the spotlight on Simi Olusola, the Founder/Executive Director of Aspilos Foundation, a youth led non-profit using technology & digital inclusion to drive economic growth and good governance.

Aspilos Foundation’s vision is to build an Africa of young active citizens maximising opportunities to foster economic progress thereby giving rise to a poverty free continent. The foundation runs on the belief that people will be poverty-free if they have the skills, knowledge, and opportunities that will generate income for them and that their income will be sustained if the society they live and work in is a well-governed one that responds to the needs of its people.

Aspilos Foundation runs the AboCoders project which seeks to empower young women and girls from low-income families in Nigeria, with digital literacy, programming/coding, financial literacy, and business development skills. Till date, the project has impacted hundreds of women through its academies in Niger, Kaduna and Ogun.

Aspilos Foundation’s Citizens’ Platform aims to change the face of governance in Nigeria by advancing citizen engagement and participation.

The foundation also provides consultancy and training services in technology, website development and monitoring and evaluation for SMEs.

Along with her co-director, Simi runs Nuach Consulting, a niche consulting firm that helps start-ups become a going concern and works with international organisations to implement programmes. Nuach Consulting provides high level solutions in the areas of Strategy, Operations, IT, Human Capital Development and Project Management.

Simi has over 3 years of experience working as a consultant and has been working in the not for profit sector for over 8 years with a focus on education, secure livelihoods and rights advocacy for women, children and youth.

Simi is a 2016/17 LEAP Africa Social Innovators Programme fellow, she was a State Team Lead for Stand to End Rape, Abuja and is a Strategy Advisor for TechHer NG.

Simi has a bachelors degree in Physiology from the University of Ibadan, a Certificate in Social Sector Management from Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University. She also has and has diplomas in global health, psychology and monitoring & evaluation. She’s currently completing her masters degree in Data, Economics & Development Policy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

We celebrate Simi for her commitment to economic empowerment of women and girls in underserved communities and we’re rooting for her!