African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF)

What African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF) does

African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, non-sectarian, and non-partisan development organization founded in 2017 by David Olatunji and headquartered at Plot 308, Ahmadu Bello Way, Jahi District, Abuja, Nigeria. The organization operates a programmatic rather than technology-product model, offering a portfolio of advocacy, education, and convening services aimed at advancing e-services and smart-city development across African municipalities. Its service portfolio includes the Smart Cities Awareness Program for secondary schools (targeting 20,000 students aged 12-22 across Nigerian states from 2026-2028), COVID-19 intervention and rural electrification projects, and operational offerings spanning review and monitoring, policies and systems development, strategic community building, sensitization, dialogues, and networking. The organization does not disclose a proprietary technology platform or software stack; its primary infrastructure is a network of regional ambassadors across 11 regions and a cycle of side-events, exhibitions, and technical visits at global forums.

ASCIF derives its funding from three streams: individual donations processed through Paystack at preset tiers of $10, $20, and $50 USD; grants from international donor agencies and governments for project-specific interventions; and a membership pathway whose fees are not publicly disclosed. Its only quantified financial anchor is approximately $14,750 USD across roughly 10 continental projects executed between founding in 2017 and Q1 2018, with no more recent revenue figure disclosed. The organization holds Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Observer Status with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), enabling formal participation in UN policy processes and access to grant and technical-assistance pipelines.

ASCIF's go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: it recruits stakeholders, partners, and volunteers through sustained participation in global forums (COP27 through COP30, Smart City Expo World Congress, Africa Urban Forum, World Urban Forum, Zero Waste Forum, AI Action Summit) and through an ambassador network that covers West Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, the Middle East, MENA, Southern/Western/Central Europe, Southern Asia, and the Americas. Its primary beneficiary segments are African local governments and municipalities (the core vertical), secondary school students in Nigeria, and vulnerable and marginalized communities receiving healthcare and education support. Notable partnerships include the Zero Waste Foundation, GISCEA, the ARAVA Institute, DCAF, UN DESA, We-GO, GSEF, BRITA, and SGEL. The organization is described as a Smart Cities (Promising) Global Award Winning Organization, with GISCEA awards presented at the 2021 International Smart Grids and Cities Congress in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Name

African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF)

Legal name

African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation

Website

https://ascif.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF) is a Nigerian non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 2017 that advocates for smart-city and e-governance development across African municipalities through advocacy, education programs, training, and convening at global forums, serving governments, students, and vulnerable communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Urban Development & Smart City Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• Smart city development
• Urban planning services
• E-governance solutions
• Climate action programs
• Civic education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Abuja

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations & Philanthropic Contributions: ASCIF accepts monetary donations from individuals and organizations through its donation page, offering preset amounts ($10, $20, $50) and custom donation options processed via Paystack. Donors can direct their contribution to specific projects such as COVID-19 Intervention and Rural Electrification in Africa.
2. Grants & Project Funding: ASCIF implements projects funded by grants from international donor agencies and governments. The organization states it has managed diverse donor grants and developed financial management capabilities to handle time-bound, project-specific funding. From 2017 to early 2018, ASCIF implemented approximately 10 continental projects worth over $14,750 USD.
3. Membership Fees: ASCIF offers a membership pathway requiring applicants to download and complete an ASCIF membership form and submit it to the secretariat. Membership fees (if any) are not publicly disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that develops and implements smart city and e-services programs across Africa. Its offerings include educational outreach (Smart Cities Awareness Program for Secondary Schools), humanitarian interventions (COVID-19 Intervention/Rural Electrification), and a suite of capacity-building services covering review & monitoring, policies & systems development, strategic community building, sensitization, dialogues & engagements, and networking & coalition building.

Product overview

African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization working for the development of e-services and smart cities in Africa. ASCIF operates as a programmatic organization rather than a technology product company, offering a portfolio of development programs and advocacy services. The main programmatic offerings include: the Smart Cities Awareness Program for Secondary Schools (an educational initiative teaching 20,000 students about smart city concepts from 2026-2028), COVID-19 Intervention/Rural Electrification projects, and operational support services including Review & Monitoring, Policies & Systems Development, Strategic Community Building, Sensitization Programs, Dialogues & Engagements, and Networking & Coalition Building. The organization also maintains a COVID-19 Dashboard as a informational resource. ASCIF combines government perspectives with proven practices through a co-design process, functioning as a human-city developmental NGO focused on enabling progress through innovation, creativity, and smart city development across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GISCEA: Global Initiative for Smart Cities and Environmental Awards — an award program under ASCIF that recognizes outstanding city leaders and smart urban initiatives globally.

Products and services

• Smart Cities Awareness Program for Secondary Schools An educational outreach program targeting 20,000 secondary school students (ages 12–22) across Nigerian states (2026–2028), educating them on smart city concepts, climate change, sustainable practices, technologies, and career opportunities in smart city development. Covers seven pillars: Smart Education, Smart Government, Smart Economy, Smart Environment, Smart Living, Smart Mobility, and Smart People.
• COVID-19 Intervention / Rural Electrification

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 continental projects implemented from 2017 to Q1 2018, totaling over $14,750 USD in project value
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

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

• Zero Waste FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASCIF signed a Partnership Agreement for Zero Waste Future during the Global Zero Waste Forum 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye. This partnership positions ASCIF to project the African perspective on the Zero Waste agenda at international forums.
• GISCEA (Global Institute for Sustainable Cities and Urban Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASCIF partners with GISCEA to present awards at international smart city forums, including the GISCEA Best City Leader of the Year Award, Clean-Smart City Award, and Smart Urban Mobility Award at the 8th International Smart Grids and Cities Congress in Istanbul, Turkey (2021).
• Smart Green Easy Living (SGEL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGEL visited ASCIF's head office in Abuja, and ASCIF's ambassadors visited SGEL's Model House in Lagos. The companies collaborate on smart green living initiatives and sustainable urban development projects in Nigeria.
• United Nations ECOSOCflagshipOthersASCIF holds Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), enabling the organization to participate in UN deliberations, access grants and technical assistance, and contribute to UN policy processes on sustainable development.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)flagshipOthersASCIF holds Observer Status with UNFCCC, enabling participation in climate change negotiations, COP events, and access to climate finance mechanisms and technical support available to observer organizations.
• World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (We-GO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASCIF participated in We-GO's 10th Anniversary celebrations in 2021. We-GO is a global organization focused on smart sustainable cities, and ASCIF collaborates on shared goals of urban innovation and sustainable development.
• ARAVA Institute for Environmental StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASCIF partnered with the ARAVA Institute at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan (2024) to collaborate on environmental and climate-related initiatives.
• DCAF (Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASCIF co-hosted a side-event with DCAF at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan (November 2024), focusing on security sector governance topics.
• United Nations DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs)coreOthersASCIF hosted a side-event under the SDG Pavilion in partnership with United Nations DESA, focusing on sustainable development goals and social development priorities.
• GSEF (Global Smart Energy Forum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASCIF participated in the GSEF Energy Transition Summit 2024 at the Halic Congress Centre in Istanbul, Turkey (May 2024), engaging in energy transition discussions and partnerships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smart Africa Alliance: African-headquartered alliance of African countries driving smart-city and digital transformation agendas. Closely comparable to ASCIF on geography (Africa-first), focus (smart cities), and stakeholder model (governments and partners).
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: Largest global alliance of mayors and city officials committing to climate action and clean energy. Comparable to ASCIF on working with municipalities on climate-aligned urban development.
• UN-Habitat: United Nations agency for sustainable urbanization; the leading global body working on smart cities, urban planning, and e-governance across Africa. Directly comparable to ASCIF in mission (sustainable urbanization in developing economies) and stakeholder set (municipalities, donors, multilaterals).
• Resilient Cities Network: Global city network advancing urban resilience, including in African member cities. Comparable to ASCIF on urban resilience programming, climate adaptation, and partnership-driven delivery.
• ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments working on sustainable urban development. Comparable to ASCIF on serving municipalities with sustainability, climate, and smart-city programming and convening.
• World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (We-GO): International organization promoting smart and sustainable cities with member municipalities globally. Directly comparable to ASCIF on smart-cities advocacy and existing partnership with ASCIF.
• C40 Cities: Global network of mayors leading climate action in major cities. Comparable to ASCIF on city-network operating model, focus on climate-resilient and smart urban infrastructure, and convening role at forums like COP.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: Major global research and program organization with a dedicated sustainable cities practice active in African and developing-country cities. Comparable to ASCIF on smart-and-sustainable cities focus area but with substantially broader resources and reach.

Emerging players

• African Cities Research Consortium: Research and policy consortium focused on the political economy of urban development in African cities. Comparable to ASCIF on African urban-policy focus and stakeholder engagement with African municipalities and researchers.
• Institute for Sustainable Communities: International NGO implementing climate resilience and sustainable community programs in emerging markets including parts of Africa. Comparable to ASCIF on programmatic, project-based delivery model and donor-funded operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ascif
• Facebookfacebook.com/ascif.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asciff
• Instagraminstagram.com/ascif_org

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 African Smart Cities Innovation Foundation (ASCIF)