Women In Leadership Advancement Network

What Women In Leadership Advancement Network does

Women In Leadership Advancement Network (WILAN) is a Nigerian nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Lagos that operates a portfolio of programs to advance gender-balanced leadership across Nigeria's political, economic, and public life. Its primary beneficiaries are women in mid-to-senior leadership positions, female political aspirants, and girls aged 14-24 (including secondary school Head Girls). WILAN's core offerings include The Leading Woman Show (a multi-season media platform spanning elections, governance, policy, and the 'Nigeria We Want' themes, with over 61 million cumulative viewers and four seasons of 13 episodes each), the National Head Girl Competition (a free-to-enter secondary school program awarding a ₦1 million grand prize), the Nigeria Signature Leadership Journey, the Women Leadership Circle, and the Women Running Circle, which provides aftercare support for women who ran for elected office. The organization is also developing a gamified civic-education digital platform called Nigeria's Future Leaders Platform.

WILAN's revenue model is donations- and grants-based, with supplementary income from program participation fees, memberships, and partnership/sponsorship support. Programs are largely free for participants, and the organization raises funds through Paystack-powered donation links on its website, alongside support from institutional funders including the Gates Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and WomenLift Health. Its go-to-market is community- and event-led, anchored on coalition partnerships with WIMBIZ, WISCAR, the Nigeria Governors' Forum, Yiaga Africa, and Civic Hall. The organization disseminates its research (notably the State of Women's Leadership Report 2025) and policy briefs through a digital library and a multi-channel presence spanning YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, and is led by Founder Abosede George-Organ, a Harvard Kennedy School MPA and Eisenhower Fellow.

Name

Women In Leadership Advancement Network

Legal name

Women in Leadership Advancement Network

Website

https://wilanglobal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WILAN is a Lagos-based Nigerian nonprofit that runs leadership training, advocacy, and media programs — including The Leading Woman Show and the National Head Girl Competition — to advance women into political, economic, and public leadership roles across Nigeria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Succession Planning & High-Potential (HiPo) Leadership Programs (EDABAAAL), Leadership Potential, High-Potential & Succession Assessments (BPACAMAH), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Women's leadership development
• Gender equality advocacy
• Leadership training programs
• Public policy research
• Nonprofit media production

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: WILAN operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations and institutional grants. The organization accepts contributions through Paystack-powered donation links on its website.
2. Program and Membership Fees: Revenue from program participation fees, including the National Head Girl Competition and leadership circle programs, as well as membership contributions from the women leadership network.
3. Partnership and Sponsorship Revenue: Support from development partners, corporate sponsors, and coalition members including WomenLift Health, Gates Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and other international organizations for specific program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WILAN is a nonprofit organization that delivers leadership training, conducts data research, produces media programming, and runs advocacy campaigns to advance Nigerian women into decision-making roles across political, economic, and public life. Its portfolio includes the multi-season Leading Woman Show (a television and digital program), the National Head Girl Competition for secondary school leaders, the Nigeria Signature Leadership Journey for mid-to-senior leaders, the Women Leadership Circle mentorship program, the Women Running Circle for women political candidates, and annual research publications such as the State of Women's Leadership Report.

Product overview

WILAN (Women in Leadership Advancement Network) is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing gender-balanced leadership across Nigeria's political, economic, and public life. Rather than a unified software product, WILAN operates as a portfolio of programs and media initiatives: The Leading Woman Show serves as the flagship media platform reaching 61+ million viewers; the National Head Girl Competition empowers young women leaders with STEM-based solutions; the Nigeria Signature Leadership Journey and Women Leadership Circle provide training and mentorship; the Women Running Circle supports women political candidates; and the Digital Library houses publications including the annual State of Women's Leadership Report and Policy Brief Compendium. Together, these offerings form an integrated ecosystem of advocacy, research, media engagement, and youth leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Leading Woman Show A multi-season television and digital media program that convenes women leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss governance, policy, and leadership issues affecting Nigerian women, with episodes covering elections, governance, policy, and "The Nigeria We Want."
• National Head Girl Competition A school-based competition for Head Girls and Assistant Head Girls across Nigerian secondary schools that challenges them to develop STEM-powered solutions for school and community problems, awarding a ₦1,000,000 grand prize and mentorship to the winner.
• Nigeria Signature Leadership Journey An in-person leadership development program that equips women with skills, support, and platforms to lead across political, economic, and public life in Nigeria, delivered across multiple Nigerian states.
• Women Leadership Circle A program that builds a strong pipeline of women leaders through training, mentorship, and community-building activities.
• Women Running Circle An aftercare program that provides mentorship and support for women who have run for elected office, including documentary documentation of their lived experiences and challenges.
• State of Women's Leadership Report 2025 An annual research publication exploring Nigerian women's representation across the Top 50 NGX companies, economic agencies, health, education, law, federal and state parastatals, the House of Representatives, the Nigerian Senate, and state and local government.
• Leading Woman Show Policy Brief Compendium A compendium of nine policy briefs that distill key governance and development priorities discussed on The Leading Woman Show, with expert-backed recommendations from policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.
• Opportunities Hub A digital resource portal that aggregates global fellowships, scholarships, and leadership opportunities for Nigerian women and girls.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Leading Woman Show has reached over 61 million viewers through traditional media
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• WomenLift HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWILAN partnered with WomenLift Health to strengthen the pipeline of women leaders in Nigeria's health sector. The partnership includes a localized Leadership Journey in Nigeria — a globally proven model adapted for Nigerian women in health leadership. The partnership addresses challenges women face in health sector leadership including unconscious bias, limited mentorship, and balancing professional demands with cultural expectations.
• Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIMBIZ is a member of the Nigerian Women in Leadership Coalition alongside WILAN, working on gender-inclusive leadership as a fundamental element of Nigeria's development agenda. The coalition advocates for 35% women's representation in leadership and modern labor reform including 16 weeks paid maternity leave.
• Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISCAR is a member of the Nigerian Women in Leadership Coalition alongside WILAN, advocating for gender-inclusive leadership across Nigeria's political, economic, and public sectors. WISCAR contributes expertise in women's career advancement and leadership development.
• Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nigeria Governors' Forum is a member of the Nigerian Women in Leadership Coalition alongside WILAN, working on advocating for 35% women's representation in government cabinets and gender-responsive policies at state levels across Nigeria.
• Yiaga AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWILAN partners with Yiaga Africa on civic tech innovations to advance women's representation and citizens' participation. Together with Civic Hall, they are working on programs that reshape democratic engagement in West Africa and promote women's participation in governance.
• Civic HallsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerWILAN partners with Civic Hall alongside Yiaga Africa to deploy civic tech innovations advancing women's representation and citizen engagement. The partnership aims to shape the future of democratic engagement in West Africa.
• Women Empowerment & Reproductive Health CentresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Ejiro Otive-Igbuzor, Executive Director of the Women Empowerment & Reproductive Health Centre and Social Inclusion Expert, appeared as a guest on The Leading Woman Show discussing Nigeria's policy transformation, contributing expertise on gender, health, and social inclusion.
• Connected Development (CODE)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected Development (CODE), led by Hamzat Lawal, anti-corruption activist and founder of Follow the Money, partnered on The Leading Woman Show discussions around policy communication, government transparency, and citizen engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WomenLift Health: Global organization strengthening women leaders in health; partnered with WILAN to localize its Leadership Journey in Nigeria. Directly comparable mission and program model targeted at women in a specific sector.
• Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR): Nigerian nonprofit focused on women's career advancement and leadership development. Coalition partner and most direct peer in Nigerian women's leadership pipeline-building.
• Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ): Nigerian nonprofit advancing women in business and leadership. Co-member of the Nigerian Women in Leadership Coalition with WILAN, directly comparable as a capacity-building and advocacy organization for Nigerian women leaders.
• Yiaga Africa: Nigerian civic organization promoting youth participation in governance and elections. Coalition partner with WILAN on civic-tech programs advancing women's representation; comparable mission around democratic participation in Nigeria.

Others

• Equality Now: International human rights organization advancing gender equality through legal advocacy. Comparable advocacy function and policy-brief output (WILAN's Policy Brief Compendium mirrors its research-driven posture), though operating in legal rather than leadership development.
• Connected Development (CODE): Nigerian civic accountability nonprofit following public funds and government transparency. Active coalition-style partner with WILAN on The Leading Woman Show, sharing overlapping civic-engagement and policy-transparency themes.

Broad incumbents

• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF): Pan-African grantmaking and capacity-building fund for women's rights organizations. Broadly comparable as an African women's empowerment funder/advocate, but at continental rather than national scale.
• Vital Voices Global Partnership: Global nonprofit identifying and investing in women leaders across sectors. Comparable mission at greater scale and longer tenure; WILAN's Founder is a VV Engage Fellow, evidencing direct affinity.
• Women for Women International: Global nonprofit delivering leadership, economic, and advocacy training to women in conflict-affected countries. Comparable training-and-advocacy model, though focused on conflict/post-conflict geographies rather than stable democracies.

Regional players

• Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI): Nigeria-focused leadership development nonprofit for senior public and private sector leaders. Comparable Nigerian leadership-development mission, but with a general (non-gender-specific) focus, positioning it as an adjacent rather than direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WILANGlobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/wilanglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilan-global
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilanglobal
• Xx.com/wilanglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women In Leadership Advancement Network