The Rockefeller Foundation directed more than $133 million across 66 funding opportunities in Africa during 2025, as the 113-year-old philanthropic organisation scaled programs in health surveillance, school nutrition and energy access, reaching 731 million people worldwide, according to its newly released 2025 impact report, Big Bets, Real Results.
Globally, the Foundation awarded more than US$350 million and directly mobilized US$3 billion during the year, with African-led partnerships forming a central pillar of its strategy across health, food systems and clean energy.
In Ghana, the Foundation’s partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting a school meals initiative spanning six countries, connecting schools directly to local food systems and prioritising fortified whole grains and diverse proteins. The programme also works to build smallholder farmers’ capacity to meet institutional demand, assess supply chain gaps and provide governments with practical tools to embed nutritious foods into national school feeding policies.
Across West Africa, the Foundation supported the construction of laboratory infrastructure through a funding model developed with the Global Fund, the Abbott Foundation and IQVIA. The initiative has trained more than 1,000 laboratory technicians, helped detect over 100 disease outbreaks including viral haemorrhagic fevers, and supported 11 countries in establishing sentinel surveillance systems to monitor and contain epidemic threats before they spread.
In Nigeria, the Foundation backed the creation of the country’s first interconnected mini-grid system, combining solar panels, batteries and grid energy to connect 30,000 people to electricity, create or improve nearly 14,000 jobs and unlock more than US$287 million to replicate the model nationally.
The report arrives as the Foundation marks 60 years of its Africa Regional Office. Senior Vice President and Africa Regional Office head William Asiko noted that amid aid cuts, geopolitical tensions, climate pressures and political change, the focus has shifted toward strengthening African capacity in health, education and energy and building platforms for African-led solutions and leadership.
