The African Philanthropy Conference on the evening of Tuesday, July 2025, conferred its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award upon Her Excellency Bisi Adeleye‑Fayemi, in recognition of her decades‑long contributions to women’s and youth development across the African continent.
The award ceremony, held under the night sky at the Nile Plaza, brought together conference delegates and distinguished guests to honour Mrs. Adeleye‑Fayemi’s pioneering work. Organisers cited her leadership at Akina Mama wa Afrika, where she served as Executive Director from 1991 to 2001, establishing the African Women’s Leadership Institute and mentoring more than 6,000 emerging women leaders.

In 2001, Mrs. Adeleye‑Fayemi co‑founded the African Women’s Development Fund, becoming its first Chief Executive Officer and overseeing grant disbursements to grassroots organisations in 42 countries. Under her stewardship until 2010, the Fund grew into one of the world’s preeminent grant‑making bodies dedicated to women’s rights and empowerment.

Her tenure as First Lady of Ekiti State (2010–2014; 2018–2022) further cemented her reputation as a policy advocate. Mrs. Adeleye-Fayemi chaired the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum, where she led a State of Emergency declaration on gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and mobilised resources for health, education, and economic initiatives benefiting women and girls.
An accomplished author and mentor, she founded the Above Whispers Media Foundation and The Wrapper Network, an online mentoring platform serving over 4,000 young women. Her weekly column, “Loud Whispers,” appears in leading publications.

Mrs. Adeleye‑Fayemi holds advanced degrees in History and Gender & Society from Obafemi Awolowo University and Middlesex University. She serves on the boards of the African Women Leaders Network, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), and the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard Kennedy School.

Conference co‑chairs praised Mrs. Adeleye‑Fayemi as a “seed sower” whose enduring efforts have shaped feminist and development movements across Africa. The Lifetime Achievement Award marks the latest recognition of her lasting impact on policy, advocacy, and leadership development.