Yiaga Africa
Yiaga Africa is a non-profit civic hub founded in 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria, strengthening democratic governance across Africa through election observation (PRVT, ERAD), civic education, and youth political participation programs, serving citizens, electoral institutions, and young leaders in 8+ African countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersAbuja, Nigeria
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Yiaga Africa does
Yiaga Africa is a non-profit civic hub founded in 2006 and headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, with additional operations in Accra, Ghana. The organization is dedicated to strengthening democratic governance, human rights, and civic participation across Africa through four interrelated program verticals: election observation and verification, civic education and voter outreach, youth political participation, and electoral reform advocacy. Its core service users include African citizens (over 1 million engaged cumulatively), young political aspirants (1,394 supported via Ready To Run since 2018), election observers (10,000+ deployed), and government institutions including INEC, the National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria and selected African parliaments.
The organization's technology stack centers on proprietary election integrity tools. The Process and Result Verification for Transparency (PRVT) is a statistical methodology using trained observers across randomly sampled polling units to independently verify election results. The Election Result Analysis Dashboard (ERAD), founded in 2022 and upgraded to an AI-assisted version (ERAD 2.0) in 2026, provides near real-time public access to analyzed polling unit results as an independent audit layer on INEC's results management. Complementary platforms include the Election Manipulation Risk Index (EMRI) for anomaly detection, the Africa Elections Tracker, the CVR Ward and Polling Unit Locator, the Electoral Trust Tracker for predictive monitoring of democratic health, and the National Voter Intention Survey (NVIS).
Yiaga Africa operates on a grant-funded non-profit model with all programs and resources provided free of charge. Revenue is sourced from international institutional donors including the European Union, National Endowment for Democracy, Ford Foundation, UK Aid, UNDP, Swedish Embassy, NDI, IRI, Open Society Foundations, and Luminate. The organization reaches 36 Nigerian states and operates in 8+ African countries, with pan-African institutional adoption of its Not Too Young To Run campaign by the African Union, ECOWAS, and the United Nations.
Yiaga Africa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yiaga Africa
- Legal name
- Yiaga Africa
- Website
- https://yiaga.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Yiaga Africa is a non-profit civic hub founded in 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria, strengthening democratic governance across Africa through election observation (PRVT, ERAD), civic education, and youth political participation programs, serving citizens, electoral institutions, and young leaders in 8+ African countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yiaga Africa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Engagement and Election Observation Services
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Political Organizations (81394)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI), Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA), Human Rights, Democracy & Rule of Law IGOs (BPADAAAG)
Keywords
Where Yiaga Africa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Abuja
- HQ country
- Nigeria
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Yiaga Africa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grants and Donations from International Donors: Yiaga Africa operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants and donations from international development organizations, foundations, and government aid programs. Major funders include the European Union, National Endowment for Democracy, Ford Foundation, UK Aid, UNDP, Swedish Embassy, and other democracy support organizations.
- Seed Grants and Sub-grants: The organization receives specific project funding through mechanisms like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supported Community Organising Incubator Fund, which provides sub-grants to alumni teams implementing democracy and governance projects.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Yiaga Africa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yiaga Africa is a non-profit civic hub that delivers election observation, civic education, and policy advocacy services across Africa. It deploys trained citizen observers using its proprietary Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) statistical methodology and operates the Election Result Analysis Dashboard (ERAD) to independently verify election results. It also runs youth political participation programs, community organizing institutes, women's leadership initiatives, and deliberative democracy platforms like People's Assembly.
Product overview
Yiaga Africa operates as a unified platform of interconnected programs rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Watching The Vote (WTV) Programme with its PRVT methodology for election observation and verification, the Not Too Young To Run and #ReadyToRun Movement for youth political participation, and the Digital Democracy suite featuring ERAD (Election Result Analysis Dashboard), Africa Elections Tracker, CVR Locator, and Digital Democracy Exhibitions. Supporting programs include the Community Organising Institute (COI) for leadership development, Women's Leadership Initiative, Gen Z Democratic Innovation Lab, and People's Assembly for deliberative democracy. Content and communication products include The Ballot Newsletter and GenZ Blog Series. Voter education products include Election 101 in 5, My Election Buddy (with WhatsApp chatbot), and #SixtyPercentOfUs campaign. Research products include NVIS, EMRI, and Electoral Trust Tracker. All programs share the common mission of strengthening democratic governance and civic participation across Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Not Too Young To Run: A global movement promoting youth inclusion in politics, transformative leadership and democratic rights. The campaign was initiated to remove age restrictions from the Nigerian constitution.
- Digital Democracy
- #ReadyToRun Movement
- Watching The Vote (WTV)
- Women's Leadership and Representation Initiative
- Community Organising Institute (COI)
- Voter Education & Outreach
- Electoral Reform & Policy Advocacy
- People's Assembly (Deliberative Democracy)
- Constituency Internship Programme
- Not Too Young To Run Hubs
- Art for Democracy (#Art4Democracy)
- Research, Reports and Analysis
- Gen Z Democratic Innovation Lab
- Election Manipulation Risk Index (EMRI)
- Transforming Electoral Governance in Africa (TEGA)
- The Ballot
- GenZ Blog Series
Products and services
- Watching The Vote (WTV) Programme Citizens' movement leveraging technology, data and statistical principles for promoting electoral integrity; includes election observation, Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) and post-election court monitoring.
- Election Result Analysis Dashboard (ERAD) Platform providing public access to analyzed election results from polling units in near real-time, serving as an independent audit and integrity test assessment tool for INEC's results management.
- Not Too Young To Run Global movement promoting youth inclusion in politics through advocacy to remove age restrictions from constitutions, enabling young people to run for public office.
- #ReadyToRun Movement Initiative designed to inspire, prepare, and support young Nigerians with the competence, capacity, and character to run for elective office through training, mentorship, and resources.
- Community Organising Institute (COI) Strategic platform designed to build a new generation of responsible and accountable leaders through training young people under age 30 from across Africa.
- Women's Leadership and Representation Initiative Initiative implementing the Young Women Political Organising Lab to encourage women's participation in political processes and engender increased leadership and representation.
- People's Assembly Deliberative democracy platform creating spaces where citizens move beyond voting to directly shaping public policy and governance decisions.
- Constituency Internship Programme Program providing young people with practical, hands-on experience in civic engagement, governance, and programme implementation through deployment to constituency offices.
- Election Manipulation Risk Index (EMRI) Data-driven and evidence-based tool designed to curb election manipulation, facilitate strategic election planning and promote citizens' oversight of the electoral process.
- Transforming Electoral Governance in Africa (TEGA) Initiative enabling democratic societies and institutions to reimagine electoral governance through evidence-based learning, documentation, and advocacy.
- Gen Z Democratic Innovation Lab Initiative empowering young people to drive civic engagement, electoral participation, and democratic reform through voter registration, civic education, and countering misinformation.
- Art for Democracy (#Art4Democracy) Initiative leveraging creative arts including music, poetry, and design to foster active citizenship, democratic accountability, and social cohesion.
- Voter Education & Outreach Extensive voter education campaigns including community outreach, awareness campaigns, and civic education programs through radio, television, and digital platforms.
- Electoral Reform & Policy Advocacy Evidence-based advocacy for reforms to electoral legal frameworks including the Electoral Act, and policy proposals such as the #ANewINEC framework.
- National Voter Intention Survey (NVIS) Data-driven initiative designed to systematically capture citizens' views, perceptions, and intentions regarding elections and governance.
- The Ballot Newsletter Weekly newsletter providing political analysis and legislative process updates for civic education.
Quantifiable outcome
- 34.2% youth candidacy achieved in 2019 General Elections (up from 21% in 2015)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Yiaga Africa
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Yiaga Africa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
Yiaga Africa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Democratic Institute (NDI)coreDemocracy support organization partnering on electoral integrity, civic engagement, and democratic governance programs across Nigeria.
- International Republican Institute (IRI)coreDemocracy support organization partnering on governance programs, electoral integrity, and political party engagement.
- Action AidminorInternational NGO partnership for civic engagement and governance programs.
- African UnioncoreContinental body that adopted the Not Too Young To Run campaign, providing pan-African legitimacy and reach for youth political participation initiatives.
- ECOWAScoreRegional economic community that adopted the Not Too Young To Run campaign, supporting youth inclusion in West African politics.
- United NationscoreGlobal body that adopted the Not Too Young To Run campaign as a global movement, providing international platform for youth political inclusion.
- Africa Center for Leadership, Strategy and DevelopmentminorLocal partner organization co-convening roundtables on African Leadership Philosophy with support from Open Society Foundations.
Scale indicators21 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Yiaga Africa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO): Ghanaian domestic election observation coalition that deploys trained observers across polling stations to independently verify election results — directly comparable to Yiaga's WTV/PRVT work but with Ghana as the primary theater.
- Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD): West Africa-focused democracy and governance think tank doing election observation, civic education, and policy advocacy — comparable mission, regional scope, and programmatic mix to Yiaga Africa.
- Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN): Coalition of civil society organizations that conducts long-term and short-term election observation in Zimbabwe using parallel vote tabulation — a methodology and use case highly analogous to Yiaga's PRVT.
- Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA): Pan-African organization headquartered in South Africa that supports electoral processes, democracy, and governance across the continent; overlaps directly with Yiaga's TEGA, ERAD, and election observation programs.
Broad incumbents
- National Democratic Institute (NDI): Core U.S.-based democracy support organization and one of Yiaga's named partners; offers global election observation, civic participation, and legislative programs at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
- International Republican Institute (IRI): Global democracy organization and named Yiaga partner operating in political party support, election integrity, and civic engagement; broader portfolio but overlapping programmatic surface.
- International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): Global election assistance organization that provides technical support to election management bodies and observers; comparable in election verification and civic education work at greater international scale.
- International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA): Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic processes and electoral assistance worldwide; comparable to Yiaga's work on electoral integrity indices, civic education, and reform advocacy.
Regional players
- African Network for Democracy (AND): Regional civil society network coordinating democracy and governance work across African countries — comparable in continental ambition and CSO-coordination model, though focused on networking rather than direct election observation.
Emerging players
- CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance that monitors civic space and produces the Civicus Monitor rating — adjacent to Yiaga's work on shrinking civic space and electoral integrity but at a global rather than country-anchored scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Yiaga Africa social profiles
Digital presenceYiaga Africa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yiaga Africa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Yiaga Africa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yiaga Africa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Yiaga Africa
What does Yiaga Africa do?
Yiaga Africa is a non-profit civic hub that delivers election observation, civic education, and policy advocacy services across Africa. It deploys trained citizen observers using its proprietary Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) statistical methodology and operates the Election Result Analysis Dashboard (ERAD) to independently verify election results. It also runs youth political participation programs, community organizing institutes, women's leadership initiatives, and deliberative democracy platforms like People's Assembly.
Is Yiaga Africa a public or private company?
Yiaga Africa is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Yiaga Africa founded?
Yiaga Africa was founded in 2006.
Where is Yiaga Africa based?
Yiaga Africa is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, in the Africa region.
How does Yiaga Africa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Grants and Donations from International Donors are the primary driver. The others are seed Grants and Sub-grants.
Who are Yiaga Africa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA). Broad incumbents are National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). African Network for Democracy (AND) is listed as a regional player. CIVICUS is listed as an emerging player.
Does Yiaga Africa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yiaga Africa.
What industry is Yiaga Africa in?
Yiaga Africa's product category is Civic Engagement and Election Observation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGABAI, Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8600.