Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) has won the Supporters category at the 2026 African CSO Awards, for its contribution to strengthening civil society organisations and promoting locally led development across Africa.
The award, organised by EPIC-Africa, was announced on October 8, at the African CSO Ideas Festival in Nairobi, Kenya.
WACSI emerged as a winner from 29 finalists in the category, selected from 1,248 submissions across 46 African countries.
The award recognises organisations that provide resources, skills and support services to help civil society organisations strengthen their operations and contribute to development.
Dr Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, the Executive Director of WACSI, said the recognition affirmed the Institute’s mission of strengthening civil society.
She said it acknowledged the hard work, commitment and efforts of the Institute over the years to achieve its objectives.
For more than two decades, WACSI has supported CSOs in West Africa and beyond through training, research, coaching, peer learning and technical assistance.
Its work focuses on improving organisational governance, financial sustainability, communication, digital resilience and the ability of civil society groups to influence policies and development decisions.
One of its initiatives, the Change the Game Academy programme, helped organisations mobilise resources locally to reduce their dependence on external funding.
An impact evaluation published by WACSI in April 2026 found that 92 per cent of participating organisations had improved their fundraising capacity.
The evaluation also found that more than 79 organisations across nine cohorts since 2017 had collectively mobilised US$315,000 in new funding.
WACSI also promotes locally led development through its Reverse Call for Proposals initiative, which allows community-based organisations to identify their priorities before partners and donors respond to their needs.
Rose Maruru, the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of EPIC-Africa, said the awards highlighted organisations whose impact was rooted in community relationships, trust and long-term change.
Charles Kojo Vandyck, the Head of Capacity Development at WACSI, who received the award on behalf of the Institute, said the recognition strengthened its commitment to supporting CSOs to become more effective and connected.
He said WACSI would continue to strengthen civil society and promote an environment in which African organisations and communities could shape their own priorities and influence decisions.
The recognition aligns with WACSI’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, which prioritises building the capacity of civil society organisations, promoting an enabling environment for civic action and strengthening the Institute’s institutional effectiveness.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Albert Oppong-Ansah
Email: [email protected]