Niyel

What Niyel does

Niyel is a Dakar-headquartered advocacy, campaigns, and public affairs consultancy founded in 2009 by Valerie G. Traore. The firm designs and executes policy influencing, electoral campaigns, public health campaigns (notably immunization via the Safe and Secure project), water and sanitation advocacy (Non-Sewered Sanitation/FSM), migration and anti-trafficking initiatives, and data governance programs for international NGOs, foundations, governments, and multilateral bodies. Its service portfolio spans campaign planning, electoral analysis, polling, events, content and message development, political advertising, candidate coaching, and media production and placement, delivered by a team of 11–50 consultants with backgrounds spanning more than 40 countries.

The firm's product surface extends beyond pure advisory into branded programs and content assets: the 9-month Niyel Fellowship for mid-level professionals, the Niyel Studio for creative production (launched 2022), the Hello Doc podcast on health, the Do Something Toolkit (77 free advocacy videos), the Sit With Me e-book, the Data Governance Knowledge Hub, and the AI Pulse newsletter (launched January 2026). Flagship multi-year projects include Safe and Secure – Achieving Immunity Together, IDIA (AI research for Francophone Africa), the Non-Sewered Sanitation/FSM initiative, ADG (Africa Data Governance), and The Slingshot convening. Niyel explicitly produced its Francophone AI animated series Ami & Abu without AI tools, framing AI as a policy subject rather than a production technology.

Commercially, Niyel operates a project-based professional services model with revenue sourced from consulting fees and grants from major foundations (Gates, Rockefeller, Hewlett, Ford, Omidyar, IDRC, UK Aid) and multilateral clients (WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, ICMPD). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the firm reports no parent company, no funding rounds, and no institutional investors. Distribution is direct enterprise sales via project engagements, supported by thought-leadership content marketing, events (Slingshot, India AI Impact Summit), and a bilingual French/English digital presence.

Name

Niyel

Legal name

Niyel

Website

https://niyel.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Niyel is a Dakar-headquartered advocacy, campaigns, and public affairs consultancy that designs policy influencing, electoral, health, sanitation, and AI policy programs for international foundations, NGOs, multilaterals, and African governments across more than 35 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advocacy and Public Affairs Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Model Transparency, Explainability & Interpretability (XAI) (HDAAAMAB), Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC)

Keywords

• Advocacy consulting
• Public affairs services
• Campaign strategy
• Policy influencing
• Political communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakar

HQ country

Senegal

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Niyel provides advocacy, campaigns, and public affairs consulting services to clients including governments, NGOs, foundations, and international organizations. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Niyel is a consulting firm that designs and delivers advocacy, campaigns, and public affairs services for governments, international NGOs, foundations, and regional organizations across Africa. Its core services include campaign planning and organization, electoral analysis, survey and polling, events organizing, content and message development, political advertising, candidate preparation, media production and placement, and media relations. In parallel, Niyel runs branded programs such as the Niyel Fellowship (capacity building), the Niyel Studio (creative production), and the AI Pulse newsletter, along with flagship thematic initiatives on immunization, AI governance, sanitation, and data governance.

Product overview

Niyel is an advocacy, campaigns, and public affairs organization operating as a single unified service offering centered on policy influence and behavioral change. Its portfolio spans a mix of consulting services (campaign planning, electoral analysis, media production) and branded programs/products including the Niyel Fellowship (a 9-month capacity-building program), the AI Pulse newsletter, the Niyel Studio (design and production), the Hello Doc podcast, the Do Something Toolkit (77 free advocacy videos), the Sit With Me e-book, the Data Governance Knowledge Hub, and flagship projects such as Safe and Secure (immunization), IDIA (AI research), Non-Sewered Sanitation (FSM), The Slingshot (immersive experience), and ADG (Africa Data Governance). The organization also produced Ami & Abu, the first francophone AI animated series. Niyel does not offer a modular software platform or SaaS product — its offerings are services, programs, and content-based initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campaign Planning and Organizational Services End-to-end advocacy and political campaign services including campaign planning and organization, electoral analysis, survey and polling, events organizing, content and message development, political advertising, candidate preparation and coaching, on- and offline media production and placement, and media relations for NGOs, foundations, governments, and political actors in Africa.
• Niyel Fellowship Program A 9-month capacity-building program on advocacy, communication, and leadership aimed at mid-level professionals, particularly women, working on priority development issues such as AI, immunization, and sanitation across Africa.
• Niyel Studio An in-house design and production studio launched in 2022 that creates on-screen and off-screen content — including graphics, video, illustrations, and brand assets — for advocacy campaigns, partner organizations, and Niyel's own initiatives.
• AI Pulse Newsletter The first Francophone AI information bulletin, providing ongoing analysis of AI public policy evolution, fellowship experiences, and AI4D research reflections relevant to francophone Africa.
• Ami & Abu Animated Series An original French-language animated series about AI, produced without AI tools, designed to teach African audiences about AI using human creativity and African cultural heritage.
• Hello Doc Podcast A health-focused podcast series aired on major radio stations that features conversations about health-related issues including routine immunization and vaccination confidence.
• Do Something Toolkit A free toolkit comprising 77 short videos (3–5 minutes each) that package expert advice from advocates inside and outside Niyel to support change creators.
• Sit With Me E-Book An illustrated e-book that documents the intimate stories of eleven African women across generations on their journey toward empowerment and battling prejudice.
• Data Governance Knowledge Hub An online knowledge hub that hosts collaborative research and policy engagement across African data governance stakeholders, attracting over 20,000 visitors in its first two months.
• Safe and Secure – Achieving Immunity Together Flagship immunization initiative that leverages African voices in media, healthcare, and civil society to engage the public through games, podcasts, radio shows, and activities leading up to African Immunization Week, aimed at increasing vaccine confidence and routine immunization in Nigeria, DRC, and Burkina Faso.
• IDIA – Initiative pour le Développement de l'Intelligence Artificielle A multi-annual research project that mobilizes research institutions and policymakers to produce evidence-based research on the challenges, successes, and best practices for ethical and inclusive AI in francophone Africa.
• Non-Sewered Sanitation and Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) A sanitation initiative that addresses non-sewered sanitation and fecal sludge management while structuring the sanitation market to prevent adverse health, economic, and environmental effects for citizens in challenged areas of West Africa.
• The Slingshot A two-day immersive experience for change creators from across Africa that combines LEARN, DO, and FEEL spaces dedicated to transforming systems and redefining African leadership rooted in humility and narrative sovereignty.
• ADG – Africa Data Governance Initiative An initiative that strengthens collaboration among data governance actors and stakeholders across African countries through a knowledge hub, an opportunity fund, and a collaborative event focused on building the data sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 65,000 people in DRC reached with vaccination information through advocacy efforts
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PRCMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on Niyel's website. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed.
• Mercy CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNiyel is a member of the SCC consortium mandated to conduct communication and advocacy activities. Works with Mercy Corps on USAID-funded Sahel development programs.
• UNAIDSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization. Nature of partnership not explicitly detailed.
• OxfamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner on Grow campaign, mining transparency advocacy, and US aid effectiveness evaluation.
• Speak Up AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Non-Sewered Sanitation and Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) project in West Africa.
• IPAR (Initiative for Policy and Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on sanitation advocacy and policy work in West Africa.
• Aspen InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development and delivery of New Voices Fellowship program on communications, advocacy, and storytelling for experts from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• The MothminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Aspen Institute on New Voices Fellowship storytelling training.
• AUDA-NEPADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on ethical AI guidelines development for Francophone West African countries.
• CITADEL (Centre Interdisciplinaire d'Excellence en Intelligence Artificielle pour le Développement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on ethical AI guidelines for Francophone West Africa. CITADEL is based in Burkina Faso.
• Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Telecommunications of Burkina FasocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developing first Francophone guidelines for ethical, inclusive, and responsible AI for West African countries.
• ICMPD (International Center for Migration Policy Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on regional advocacy campaign against human trafficking for forced labor in ECOWAS countries.
• RTI InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on national communication and advocacy campaign for youth education in Senegal.
• WaterAidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned collaboration protocol for sanitation co-financing in Burkina Faso.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Africa: Edelman is the world's largest PR firm with dedicated Africa operations providing public affairs, policy communications, and behavior-change campaigns to foundations and multilaterals. Directly competes for the same pan-African advocacy mandates as Niyel, particularly on immunization and public-health campaign RFPs.
• Brunswick Group: Brunswick is a global corporate communications and public affairs firm with a growing Africa practice advising corporates, foundations, and governments on reputation, policy, and stakeholder engagement. Operates as a broader incumbent alternative to Niyel for institutional clients seeking Africa-focused public affairs counsel.
• Palladium: Palladium is a global implementation and advisory firm operating USAID, FCDO, and foundation-funded programs across Africa and Asia. It runs large-scale governance, health, and data governance programs that compete with Niyel's USAID/SCC and Africa Data Governance engagements for similar institutional clients.
• FleishmanHillard: FleishmanHillard is a global public relations and communications agency with Africa network partners serving multinationals, NGOs, and multilaterals on advocacy and policy campaigns. Comparable to Niyel in delivering integrated campaign communications, public affairs, and behavior-change programs, but at materially larger global scale.
• Dalberg Global Development Advisors: Dalberg is a global strategy and policy advisory firm with deep Africa operations serving foundations, multilaterals, and governments on development challenges. Overlaps with Niyel on policy advisory, advocacy design, and donor-funded programs, but at significantly larger scale and broader sector coverage.

Direct peers

• Africa Practice: Africa Practice is a pan-African strategic advisory firm delivering public affairs, reputation management, and policy communications across the continent. Directly comparable to Niyel in offering integrated advocacy, communications, and stakeholder engagement to foundations, governments, and corporates across Africa.
• Speak Up Africa: Speak Up Africa is a Dakar-based advocacy and policy communications organization focused on African public health, sanitation, and immunization campaigns. It is a stated partner of Niyel on the Non-Sewered Sanitation/FSM project and competes for the same institutional funding and Francophone West Africa advocacy briefs.

Others

• Open Society Foundations – Africa: Open Society Foundations is a major grantmaker funding many of the same African civil society, governance, and advocacy organizations that Niyel serves. Listed here as a funder/ecosystem counterpart rather than a service competitor.

Emerging players

• African Leadership Institute: The African Leadership Institute runs leadership development and fellowship programs for African policy and civic leaders. Overlaps with Niyel's Niyel Fellowship and Slingshot offerings in building advocacy and policy leadership capacity, but without the campaign execution and government advisory service line.
• Development Initiatives: Development Initiatives is a non-profit that produces data-driven research, policy analysis, and convening on development effectiveness and governance, including Africa-focused work. Partial overlap with Niyel's data governance, TPA, and policy advisory work but with a stronger research-publishing orientation and no political campaign delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/niyelcampaigns
• Facebookfacebook.com/NiyelCampaigns
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/niyel
• Instagraminstagram.com/niyelcampaigns/?hl=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Niyel