Cameroon: Foretia Foundation’s Nkafu Policy Institute wins 2022 Africa Liberty Award

The Africa Liberty award is supported by Templeton Religion Trust By Boris Esono Nwenfor [caption id="attachment_101664" align="alignnone" width="1016"] Dr Denis Foretia, Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute and Co-Chair of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation poses  with the award. Photo credit Gelan Nkafu Foretia[/caption] Cameroon-based Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation has won the 2022 Africa Liberty Award of the Atlas Network. Each year, the Atlas Network recognizes a think tank that has made a significant contribution to the understanding of liberty across the African continent. The Award recognizes Nkafu Policy Institute’s work to advance prosperity, innovation, and human dignity in Cameroon, particularly the empowerment of women across the country, with one of its projects being the Women’s Economic Rights in Cameroon (WERC) Project. Receiving the award, Dr Denis Foretia, Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute and Co-Chair of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation said: “This award is a wonderful recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team members over many years, to ensure that we create more opportunities for women and youth, not only in Cameroon but across the continent.” “It re-energizes us to remain steadfast in our mission to catalyze Africa’s economic transformation and a continent where citizens can prosper in free, fair, democratic, and sustainable economies. Our Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center (SBEC) are at the epicentre in driving this change." SBEC provides the necessary tools for the creation and development of businesses in the private sector to stimulate economic growth. The program focuses on empowering women in the private sector to create and grow small and medium-sized enterprises. The ongoing work helps lift women out of poverty by educating them about their property rights and challenging the cultural biases that prevent women from exercising their basic rights. “Through several Atlas Network-supported projects and in collaboration with ministries such as the Ministry of Women Empowerment, the Nkafu Policy Institute has worked effectively over the past several years to remove policy and cultural barriers to women's entrepreneurship," said Brad Lips, CEO of Atlas Network. "They have worked particularly hard to increase women's access to capital and the banking system. The institute has also helped highlight the limitations of Cameroon's small business support systems and identify improvement plans. Their work has improved the livelihoods of thousands of Cameroonian women and made it easier for them to chart independent paths for their own lives." About the Atlas Network Atlas Network increases opportunity and prosperity by strengthening a global network of independent civil society organizations that promote individual freedom and remove barriers to human flourishing.  About the Nkafu Policy Institute The Nkafu Policy Institute is an independent pan-African think tank dedicated to catalyzing Africa's economic transformation. Its mission is to provide independent, in-depth, and insightful policy recommendations that allow all Africans to prosper in free, fair, democratic and sustainable economies.