Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji
Founder, Rise Networks & Rise Interactive Studios, Africa AI for Development, Edtech, Strategic Policy, and Media Innovation Leader
Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji is an Artificial Intelligence for Development, Safety and Governance, Media Innovation, Edtech, and Public Policy Leader. One of Africa’s most respected voices on leadership, innovation, and human capital development, Forbes once named her among Africa’s 20 Most Powerful Young Women, a recognition of her relentless drive to use creativity and knowledge to build people and economies.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Dr. Toyosi has devoted her life to telling stories that matter, building and contributing to institutions that last, and nurturing Africa’s next generation of leaders. Through her company Rise Networks, her globally celebrated films like Makemation, and her numerous thought-leadership engagements, Dr. Toyosi continues to champion the dignity, imagination, and potential of Africa’s people.
Personal Manifesto - A Mission That Drives Impact
“I believe that nations are not built on oil, gold, or diamonds. They are built on people, on minds sharpened by knowledge, on hearts softened by empathy, on voices that dare to speak and hands that dare to build. Our people are Africa’s greatest resource, and their dignity is our richest inheritance. For me, social innovation and storytelling are not entertainment. They are instruments of nation building. Through programs, films and the platforms I create, I tell stories that heal, build, and transform, stories that remind us that imagination can be as powerful as infrastructure, and culture as necessary as capital.
Where creativity meets leadership, change is born. That is why my work sits at the crossroads of art and policy, of innovation and tradition, of Africa and the world. I speak not just to fill rooms, but to echo the voices unheard and to plant seeds in generations unseen. From the rural villages of Nigeria to the halls of the United Nations, my mission is constant: to prove that human beings are worth more than minerals, that values outlast wealth, and that hope is a gift we can all give each other.
This is my creed. This is my work. This is my offering: works, words, images, and ideas, carried from Africa to the world, carrying hope with them.” – Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji
Early Life and Years
Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji never imagined she would achieve the kind of impact and success she has today. Raised by middle-class parents who placed a premium on education, she understood from a young age that education was her most powerful – and perhaps only – leverage to break through the limitations imposed by her environment with integrity, being her second most crucial superpower. In a society where structural inequality stifled potential, especially for young girls, Toyosi saw education not just as a pathway for personal advancement but as a responsibility to change systems and build new ones in Africa.
After attending primary and secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun States where she was Head Girl and Social Prefect respectively, Dr. Toyosi earned a bachelor’s degree in civil law with Second Class Upper Honours from the University of Jos in Plateau State, Nigeria. Even during her undergraduate years, she didn’t wait for doors to open – she created her own. Through volunteer work and internships, she developed practical, hands-on experience in advocacy, public administration, and youth development. She approached her education like a builder studying blueprints, always connecting what she learned to what needed to be fixed or reimagined in the world around her.
After completing her studies in Civil Law at the University of Jos with Second Class Upper Honours, Dr. Toyosi did not wait for opportunities to come to her, she created them. In 2009, while still at university, she started her career journey by publishing Rise Magazine, a youth-interest magazine featuring contributions from her classmates and peers. The magazine quickly grew into a platform that amplified the voices, stories, and aspirations of young Nigerians.
In April 2007, the very month she graduated, backed by several a few corporate partners, she launched the Rise National Youth Forum, a multi-city youth development program where accomplished leaders and entrepreneurs came to teach young people about life, business, and nation-building. Over the next decade, the Forum held the nation spellbound, with massive event centres and university halls across different states packed with hundreds of thousands of young people seeking clarity, inspiration, and opportunities. Many of Nigeria’s high-achieving young professionals today proudly count themselves as alumni of the Rise National Youth Forum.
This extraordinary impact drew global recognition. In 2012, Dr. Toyosi was endorsed and invited by Michelle Obama to join the Young African Women Leaders Forum (YAWL), which later evolved into the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Building on this momentum, she founded Rise Networks in 2012, a pioneering social enterprise focused on data science, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies to empower African youth. By 2018, Rise Networks pivoted and expanded its scope into technology and youth development more broadly, deepening its work at the intersection of education, innovation, and nation-building.
In 2022, Dr. Toyosi extended her vision further by launching Rise Interactive Studios, a multimedia production company dedicated to creating culturally relevant and socially impactful content. Through this platform, she co-produced Makemation, Africa’s first feature film centred on artificial intelligence and the inspiring stories of African girls in STEM.
Dr. Toyosi’s journey reflects a lifelong commitment to education, innovation, and leadership rooted in service to her community and continent.
Education and Credentials
Dr. Toyosi’s academic path mirrors her dedication to excellence and lifelong learning. She studied Civil Law at the University of Jos from 2002 to 2007, graduating with Second Class Upper Honours. During her time there, she was also elected Deputy Speaker of the Student Union Government in 2009, a role that sharpened her leadership skills and deepened her passion for civic engagement.
She later earned a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, where she was honored as both a Mason Fellow and a Women in Public Policy Fellow, with additional coursework at Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Toyosi has also pursued executive certifications from the Cambridge Judge Business School, the University of New Hampshire, the UK’s Institute of Digital Marketing, and Pan Atlantic University in Nigeria. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy, with research focusing on the applications of artificial intelligence, drone networking, and predictive analytics in national security.
Harvard Business School
Harvard Kennedy School
Cambridge University
University of New Hampshire
MIT
Pan Atlantic University
Institute of Digital Marketing
Nigerian Defence Academy (PhD Research)
Leadership in Governance, Public Administration and Humanitarian Crisis Response
Outside entrepreneurship, Dr. Toyosi has has committed herself and engaged in public service, humanitarian leadership and high-level advisory roles. During her Service Year as a Youth Corper, she served as Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Youth Development in Ogun State, where she helped craft youth policies and development frameworks in youth and sports and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was appointed Chairperson of the Victims Support Fund COVID-19 Task Force, coordinating the logistics of nationwide food, personal protective equipment and medical supply distribution to over two million vulnerable Nigerians in all 36 states, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), after having developed a data collection and beneficiary tracking system, and ensured accountability in one of the country’s most complex relief operations. Her leadership and people-oriented performance was widely commended for its transparency, efficiency, and grassroots reach.
Dr. Toyosi’s public service reflects exceptional dedication, courage, and a relentless commitment to accountability, and it spans national crisis response, humanitarian relief, and community restoration across Nigeria often undertaken at great personal risk. In July 2014, she was appointed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the youngest member of the Presidential Committee on the Victims Support Fund (VSF), later formalized in 2015 as the Nigeria Foundation for the Support of Victims of Terrorism (VSF). The committee was chaired by General T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) GCON, with Fola Adeola as Vice Chairman, and included notable figures such as Folorunso Alakija, Cosmas Maduka, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia and Mohammed Indimi. Its mandate was to deliver structured aid to victims of terrorism and insurgency nationwide. The VSF was constituted to mobilize resources and deliver direct assistance to victims of terrorism and insurgency nationwide and tasked with delivering structured assistance to victims of terrorism and insurgency. ICIR News Channels Television Channels Television TheCable Premium Times Procurement Monitor Library
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Toyosi was appointed by General T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) GCON as Chair of the VSF COVID-19 Task Force, directing a multi-phase national response that combined immediate Food, Medical and PPE palliatives with durable WASH and data-systems support. The Task Force became the second-largest private-sector COVID-19 intervention in Nigeria and carried out various projects with transparency and integrity, earning widespread public praise. ICIR News+1
Highlights of her leadership include:
- National pandemic coordination: VSF supported the Federal Ministry of Health in developing and publishing the National Pandemic Response Action Plan THISDAYLIVE Channels Television
- Strengthening national testing and youth-service safety: VSF delivered 60,000 rapid COVID-19 test kits (valued at ₦210 million) to the National Youth Service Corps via the Presidential Steering Committee, enabling safe reopening of orientation camps and making it the single largest donation of test kits in West Africa at the time. IndependentTHISDAYLIVE Premium Times VON
- Extensive food, PPE distribution and medical relief at scale: VSF’s early pandemic phases moved over ₦1.8 -2 billion worth of food, medical consumables, and PPE across at least 19 states, prioritizing hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations, including IDP communities. Premium Times. With a focus on nutrition and vulnerability, VSF distributed well-balanced food and PPEs to over 2,000,000 persons in 450,000 [Two Million and Four hundred and fifty households] across all 36 states, including internally displaced persons. ICIR News DAILY TIMES Nigeria Vanguard News
- Targeted state-level interventions: In Lagos, VSF distributed relief items to 50,000 households in Osun, it contributed ₦120 million in food and PPE to vulnerable populations. The Guardian Nigeria DAILY TIMES Nigeria
- Supported the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with advanced equipment to strengthen data infrastructure and central coordination nationwide: VSF provided ₦150 million in ICT equipment to the Federal Ministry of Health/NCDC to bolster COVID-19 data collection and monitoring to improve nationwide coordination
- Support to institutional stakeholders: VSF delivered emergency aid valued at ₦72 million to the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants & IDPs and National Council of Women Societies, including food, hygiene kits, and blankets. Daily Trust
- Infrastructure support: VSF donated a 13-passenger elevator and UPS (₦42 million) to the Federal Ministry of Health, improving accessibility and power reliability in the pandemic. The Guardian Nigeria
- Enhanced transparency through data: Known for her data-driven leadership, Dr. Toyosi led granular tracking of donations, ensuring each state’s resources and beneficiaries were publicly accountable, reinforcing public trust in governance. ICIR News
- Constructed boreholes and handwashing stations in densely populated schools across the country, promoting hygiene and reducing virus transmission among children and youth.
Under Dr. Toyosi’s leadership, VSF installed solar-powered boreholes and WASH facilities (hand-wash stations, masks, sanitizers, and hygiene supplies) in 54 schools across 18 states, enabling reliable hand-washing and safe reopening in low-income areas. Coverage spanned the FCT, Edo, Anambra, Taraba, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Plateau and more. Daily Trust+1Premium TimesVanguard NewsNews Diary Online The Sun NigeriaTHISDAYLIVE
Beyond COVID-19, Dr. Toyosi also led large-scale stabilization, high-impact and recovery initiatives within the VSF: - Benue State Intervention (2022 onward): VSF launched interventions supporting victims of violence and displacement, publicly flagged off by the state government in April 2022 covering major local governments and providing internally displaced persons (IDPs) with food, educational support, and economic empowerment opportunities. Daily Post Nigeria General T.Y. Danjuma [GCON] further appointed her as Chair of the VSF Benue State Intervention Program (2022–2025), a N1.2bn delivering food, education, and empowerment to internally displaced communities. The Nigerian Voice
- Nyakwala Community Restoration Programme, Taraba (2022): VSF inaugurated a ₦300 million community restoration program in Nyakwala, Wukari LGA, reaching 10,000+ crisis-affected residents with relief, livelihoods, and reconstruction support. Daily TrustX (formerly Twitter) Radio Nigeria Kaduna English thestoriesng.com She led the Nyakwala Community Restoration Programme’s spearheading recovery and development efforts for displaced families and conflict-affected families within the Committee.
A flagship achievement was the complete rehabilitation of the Naka Water Works in Gwer West LGA, a ₦100 million solar-powered project. Prior to the intervention, the water facility had been dysfunctional for nearly a decade, forcing residents to rely on unsafe water sources that contributed to water-borne diseases. The restored water works now provides large daily volumes of potable water through 50 fetching points, significantly improving public health and community resilience. The state government publicly commended VSF for completing the Naka scheme and for its expected role in stemming water-borne disease. Local reporting and community testimony describe Naka as having suffered years of water-service breakdowns and acute scarcity (with residents reporting disease and severe hardship) prior to this intervention; the rehabilitation thus restored safe water access to communities that had long lacked reliable supply. Vanguard News dailyasset.ng The Whistler
These efforts drew recognition from multilateral and policy institutions tracking Nigeria’s response to insurgency and victim support, which highlighted VSF as a public-private vehicle for mobilizing resources and structured assistance to terror-affected citizens.
With her bold leadership, especially as Chair, Dr. Toyosi demonstrated unwavering commitment to compassion, clarity, and ethical impact and all Programs directly under her supervision were executed with competitive procurements and program rollouts, reflecting the commitment of her and her Principal, the Chairman of the VSF to ensure transparency, accountability, and impact sustainability. Through these roles, Dr. Toyosi has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to service, accountability, and rebuilding lives, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the support they need in times of crisis. Her work represents a transformative model of public service that blends innovation, accountability, and scaled humanitarian outcomes.
What sets Dr. Toyosi apart?
What makes Dr. Toyosi’s approach different is not just her credentialism, it is her clarity of vision. She believes that Africa’s problems require African-led solutions powered by data, design, and deep understanding of context. For her, the private sector is not a side player, it is the engine. But only if it is inclusive, values-driven, and built to last.
Her leadership is defined by systems thinking. Whether it’s conceptualizing a chatbot to guide career paths, drafting the next big AI policy proposal for recommendation and implementation, or helping little children learn how to use Arduinos and potentiometers to build engineering stuff, Dr. Toyosi focuses on what will outlast trends: structure, sustainability, and service.
For Dr. Toyosi, the future is not something to be predicted; it is something to be designed and built with grit and intentionality. Through her work, her writing, her advocacy and her advisory, she is helping shape an Africa that doesn’t ask for permission to rise but knows exactly how high it’s capable of going.