African Leadership Centre

What African Leadership Centre does

The African Leadership Centre (ALC) is a non-profit academic and research institution founded in 2010 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with a co-located European base within King's College London's School of Global Affairs in London. It operates as a multi-platform knowledge organisation focused on building an intergenerational community of African leaders in peace, security, and development. Its core offerings comprise four fellowship programmes (an 18-month degree-awarding Peace, Security and Development Fellowship combining an MSc at King's College London with a six-month on-continent attachment; a non-degree Peace and Security Fellowship for Sudanese Women; Associate Fellowship Bursaries for African students; and Associate Fellowships for Global South students), together with the African Public Square (APS) convening platform, the ALC Data Lab for open data analysis and visualisation, ALC Radio (a Pan-African media initiative), the Practice of Leadership Programme, the Peter da Costa Memorial Lecture Series, and the CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research cluster.

The ALC's business model is non-commercial and grant-funded. Revenue is derived from institutional funding, donor grants, and partner contributions rather than tuition; the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding and MSc Leadership and Development are delivered through King's College London (which sets tuition fees), while the ALC manages fellowship selection, mentoring, and on-continent attachments. The Associate Fellowship Bursary covers 25% of MSc tuition plus £5,000 living expenses for the 2025/26 academic year. Customer segments are distributed across young African scholars, African postgraduate students, Sudanese women activists, and African public intellectuals, with marketing driven through the website, APS events, ALC Radio, publications, and partner university networks (King's College London, ARUA, The Guild). The ALC has approximately 50 employees and is not publicly traded, with governance provided by a Board of Trustees under the directorship of Professor Eka Ikpe.

Name

African Leadership Centre

Legal name

African Leadership Centre

Website

https://africanleadershipcentre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The African Leadership Centre is a non-profit academic and research institution founded in 2010, based in Nairobi and King's College London, that runs fellowship programmes, postgraduate degrees, and convening platforms focused on African leadership in peace, security, and development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Programme Funding: The ALC operates fully funded fellowships for African Scholars in Peace, Security and Development (covering tuition, subsistence, accommodation, and travel), alongside associate fellowship bursaries providing 25% tuition fee reduction plus £5,000 living expense contribution for the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King’s College London. Revenue is derived from institutional funding, donor grants, and partner contributions rather than direct student fees.
2. Postgraduate Education: The ALC facilitates delivery of the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding and MSc Leadership and Development at King’s College London, drawing tuition revenue to King’s while the ALC manages the fellowship and mentoring programme components.
3. Research and Analysis Services: The ALC produces working papers, research reports, keynotes, and public lectures, and hosts seminars and workshops such as the NCIRI Seminar Series and the Scientific Writing & Publishing Workshop, generating engagement and institutional recognition that supports continued grant and partnership funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The African Leadership Centre is a non-profit academic and research institution that delivers fully funded postgraduate fellowship programmes, bursaries, and master's degrees (in partnership with King's College London) for African scholars and Global South students in peace, security, and development leadership. It complements these educational offerings with research outputs, a Pan-African radio initiative, an open data platform, and the African Public Square convening platform for African public intellectuals.

Product overview

African Leadership Centre operates as a multi-platform knowledge organisation offering fellowship programmes, academic degrees, data platforms, and media initiatives focused on peace, security, and development in Africa. The core offerings include four fellowship types: Peace, Security and Development Fellowships for African Scholars (degree-awarding), Peace and Security Fellowships for Sudanese Women (non-degree residential), Associate Fellowship Bursaries for African Students, and Associate Fellowships for the Global South. Supporting infrastructure includes the African Public Square (APS) convening platform, the ALC Data Lab for open data analysis and visualizations, ALC Radio for Pan-African media content, the Practice of Leadership Programme for practitioner insights, and the Peter da Costa Memorial Lecture Series. Academic offerings are delivered through partnerships with King's College London, offering the Global Leadership and Peacebuilding MSc and Leadership and Development MSc degrees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peace, Security & Development Fellowships: Fellowships for African scholars combining academic research, policy analysis and mentoring
• Associate Fellowships Bursaries
• Practice of Leadership Programme
• Peter da Costa Memorial Lecture Series
• NCIRI Seminar Series

Products and services

• Peace, Security and Development Fellowships Fully funded 18-month degree-awarding fellowship for African scholars affiliated with academic or research institutions, combining rigorous academic research, impactful writing, and policy analysis on leadership, security, and development, culminating in the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King's College London and a six-month attachment at a leading African university or regional organisation.
• Peace and Security Fellowships for Sudanese Women Non-degree residential programme for Sudanese women activists responding to the crisis in Sudan, comprising six months of intensive mentoring and academic modules delivered by King's College London and the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, followed by a six-month professional placement at an African regional organisation or centre of excellence.
• Associate Fellowship Bursaries for African Students Bursary programme providing 25% tuition fee coverage for the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King's College London plus a £5,000 living expenses contribution for African students pursuing careers in leadership, security, and development.
• Associate Fellowships for the Global South Bursary programme for Global South students applying for the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King's College London, with optional short internship at international institutions or regional centres of excellence after the programme.
• African Public Square (APS) Convening platform established to harness Africa's intellectual power and inter-generational agency, enabling rethinking of the continent's response to marginalisation on the global stage through an annual high-level continental forum, a global edition at King's Africa Week, and an intergenerational community of African public intellectuals.
• ALC Data Lab Open data analysis platform providing scalable data explorations and robust data visualizations for security, peacebuilding and development themes across the African continent, designed for policy-makers, researchers, and scholars.
• ALC Radio Pan-African radio initiative focused on peace, security and leadership in Africa, featuring episodes, news and opinion content covering international affairs, conflict analysis, and interviews with practitioners.
• Practice of Leadership Programme Programme exposing students, fellows and researchers to experiences of leaders in peace, security, and development, embedding reflections and insights from leading practitioners through formal learning modules and knowledge-building activities.
• Global Leadership and Peacebuilding MSc One-year full-time master's programme at King's College London studying the mutually reinforcing links between global leadership, peace, and society, delivered with the African Leadership Centre.
• Leadership and Development MSc Postgraduate training programme at King's College London building capacity for critical analysis, independent judgement, and engagement with critical audiences on Leadership and Development, delivered with the African Leadership Centre.
• Peter da Costa Memorial Lecture Series Annual lecture series honouring the legacy of Dr Peter da Costa, former Vice-Chair of the ALC Board of Trustees, celebrating his commitment to advancing peace, security, and development in Africa.
• CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence cluster focused on Building Capacities for Interdisciplinary Peace Research, exploring conflict, environment, technology, inequality, and identity in Africa, jointly led by Addis Ababa University and King's College London with approximately 15 institutional members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fellows emerge with a King’s College London MSc in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding, research skills, mentorship training, and practical experience through a 6-month attachment at a leading African institution.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Africans for the Horn of Africa Initiatives (Af4HA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Af4HA co-offers the Peace and Security Fellowships for Sudanese Women alongside the ALC. The partnership aligns with key regional and international frameworks on youth and women’s participation, gender equality, and Women, Peace and Security, including UNSCR 1325 and 2250.
• High Commission of the Republic of ZambiaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026The High Commission of the Republic of Zambia co-hosted the African Public Square Global Edition at King’s Africa Week 2026 alongside the ALC, bringing diplomatic representation to the APS debate on ‘Resourcing African Agency’.
• Thabo Mbeki FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Thabo Mbeki Foundation collaborated on the APS Global Edition at King’s Africa Week 2026, contributing high-profile African leadership perspectives to the debate on resourcing African agency in a multipolar world.
• South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026The SABC collaborated with the ALC on the APS Global Edition at King’s Africa Week 2026, providing broadcast reach across South Africa and the broader African audience.
• Amandla InstituteflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Amandla Institute co-organised the African Public Square Second Continental Edition at the ECOWAS@50 Conference alongside the ALC and CODESRIA, expanding APS reach across West Africa and strengthening the platform’s continental footprint.
• CODESRIAflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa) co-organised the APS Second Continental Edition at the ECOWAS@50 Conference, bringing its continental scholarly network to bear on debates about regional integration in Africa.
• WATHIflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025WATHI collaborated with the ALC, Amandla Institute, and CODESRIA on the African Public Square Second Continental Edition at the ECOWAS@50 Conference, contributing its West African policy engagement platform.
• Addis Ababa University (AAU) / Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023AAU and its Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) jointly lead the CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research with King’s College London, with the ALC serving as the focal point at KCL. IPSS co-hosts the NCIRI Seminar Series and collaborates on fellowship programme delivery.
• African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ARUA is a partner in the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) initiative, of which the CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research is a part. ARUA contributes to research collaboration, postgraduate training, and capacity building across African universities.
• The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities partnered with ARUA to launch the 22 Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoREs) in 2023, intended to drive research, innovation, teaching, and skills development over a ten-year period. The CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research falls under this partnership.
• CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research Institutional MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research has approximately 15 institutional members including Makerere University, University of Lagos, University of Ghana, University of Oslo, Ghent University, University of Nairobi, University of Pretoria, University of Cape Town, University of Dar es Salaam, University of Warwick, Obafemi Awolowo University, and Radboud University. These institutions collaborate on interdisciplinary research in peace and security.
• South Sudan Working Group (SSWG)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023The South Sudan Working Group co-hosted a pre-launch X-Space conversation with the ALC to promote the inaugural African Public Square launch event on Sudan and South Sudan, expanding the reach and constituency of the APS conversation.
• University of PretoriaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The University of Pretoria partnered with King’s College London and the ALC to establish the first Joint Award PhD programme between King’s and an African university — the PhD in Leadership and Security Studies, launched in 2018 under the leadership of Professor Maxi Schoeman and Professor Funmi Olonisakin.
• King’s College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010King’s College London is the ALC’s primary institutional partner. The ALC is based within King’s School of Global Affairs and together they deliver the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding and MSc Leadership and Development programmes. King’s hosts the ALC-KCL office and co-convenes King’s Africa Week with the ALC. The two institutions jointly lead the CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research and the CoRE on Creative Economies in Africa.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR): University of Cape Town-based centre running research, training, and dialogue programmes on conflict resolution across Africa. CCR's training-of-leaders model and academic affiliation closely mirror ALC's structure and mission.
• Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD): West African think tank focused on democracy, security, and development policy. CDD's fellowship, research, and convening programmes closely mirror ALC's model, though with a stronger West African regional focus.
• CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa): Pan-African social science research council that co-organised the APS Second Continental Edition with ALC. CODESRIA operates a comparable continental research and convening mandate across African universities and policy communities.
• Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa): Pan-African policy research organisation producing analysis on peace, security, and governance. ISS Africa operates a comparable research-and-convening model with offices across the continent, directly overlapping ALC's peace and security mandate.
• Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS): Based at Addis Ababa University, IPSS is ALC's closest academic partner — they jointly lead the CoRE on Interdisciplinary Peace Research and co-deliver fellowship programming. IPSS is a comparable African academic centre focused on peace, security, and governance with continental reach.
• ACCORD (African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes): South Africa-based African peace and conflict resolution organisation running training, mediation, and research programmes. ACCORD's training-of-leaders mission closely parallels ALC's fellowship-led leadership development work in peace and security.
• Amani Africa: African policy analysis organisation focused on peace and security issues, particularly AU and UN processes. Amani's convening, research, and policy engagement model overlaps directly with ALC's peace and security work.

Broad incumbents

• African Leadership University (ALU): Pan-African higher education institution developing African leaders through undergraduate and graduate programmes. ALU's leadership-development mission and continental student recruitment footprint position it as a broader-incumbent peer to ALC's fellowship model.
• Chatham House: Established international affairs think tank with global convening and research capabilities. While not Africa-specialised, Chatham House hosts similar fellowship-style programmes and convening forums that compete for the same donor and policy-audience mindshare.
• Mo Ibrahim Foundation: Foundation focused on African governance and leadership, operating the Ibrahim Prize and governance indices. The Foundation's convening role on African leadership overlaps with ALC's intergenerational leadership development mission, though with a higher-level policy focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alc_kcl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NTVLiveKenya
• Facebookfacebook.com/africanleadershipcentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-leadership-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about African Leadership Centre