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ABOUT US

Building the Future of Africa, One Product

Leader at a Time.

Building the Future of Africa, One Product

Leader at a Time.

The PLA is the talent engine for the continent. We don’t just teach product management; we forge the leaders who will architect Africa's digital economy.

The PLA isn't just a course; it’s a mission. As part of the Innovate Africa Foundation, we are building the human infrastructure behind the continent’s tech revolution.

We bridge the gap between "managing a product" and "leading an ecosystem." By joining the PLA, you are joining a movement dedicated to solving Africa’s most pressing challenges through innovation

The PLA’s Key Differentiators

Global Pedigree, Local Excellence:

Through our affiliation with Silicon Valley product group (SVPG), we bridge the gap between Silicon Valley’s best practices and Africa's greatest opportunities.

Global Pedigree, Local Excellence:

Through our affiliation with Silicon Valley product group (SVPG), we bridge the gap between Silicon Valley’s best practices and Africa's greatest opportunities.

Global Pedigree, Local Excellence:

Through our affiliation with Silicon Valley product group (SVPG), we bridge the gap between Silicon Valley’s best practices and Africa's greatest opportunities.

Unrivaled Expert Access

We move beyond passive learning. Our fellows engage in deep-dive sessions with industry titans who have built and scaled the products that define our digital economy.

Unrivaled Expert Access

We move beyond passive learning. Our fellows engage in deep-dive sessions with industry titans who have built and scaled the products that define our digital economy.

Unrivaled Expert Access

We move beyond passive learning. Our fellows engage in deep-dive sessions with industry titans who have built and scaled the products that define our digital economy.

Hyper-Contextual Curriculum:

We’ve localized the product leadership journey. Every module is designed to help you navigate the specific nuances of the African market, ensuring your strategy is as resilient as it is innovative.

Hyper-Contextual Curriculum:

We’ve localized the product leadership journey. Every module is designed to help you navigate the specific nuances of the African market, ensuring your strategy is as resilient as it is innovative.

Hyper-Contextual Curriculum:

We’ve localized the product leadership journey. Every module is designed to help you navigate the specific nuances of the African market, ensuring your strategy is as resilient as it is innovative.

Ecosystem Integration:

Being part of the Innovate Africa ecosystem means you aren't just joining a class; you are joining a mission-driven engine designed to support your career from fellowship to C-suite or Founder.

Ecosystem Integration:

Being part of the Innovate Africa ecosystem means you aren't just joining a class; you are joining a mission-driven engine designed to support your career from fellowship to C-suite or Founder.

Ecosystem Integration:

Being part of the Innovate Africa ecosystem means you aren't just joining a class; you are joining a mission-driven engine designed to support your career from fellowship to C-suite or Founder.

Insights from the Frontlines.

Before joining PLA, I misunderstood product management as just writing PRDs and roadmaps. PLA taught me to love the problem, connect with users, and embrace discovery. Another major shift was realising you build with users, not for them. PLA taught me to engage users continuously, testing assumptions and validating insights. It transformed me into a problem-obsessed, user-driven, discovery-minded product manager. My user interviews were biased before PLA. I entered conversations with opinions, subtly leading users. Through PLA’s coaching, I learned to ask open-ended questions, uncovering insights that completely shifted our problem narrative—something impossible without this skill.
Oyin
I experienced a significant career milestone after the PLA program, where I connected with a founder at the Inspire Africa Conference, who invited me to join his health-tech startup as a Product Lead—a big step up in responsibility. The PLA program directly prepared me for this role. The Product Operating Model, especially continuous discovery, helped me introduce structured product practices. Using discovery frameworks like problem interviews and hypothesis prioritization, I guided the team from assumption-driven development to evidence-based decisions.
This shift reduced engineering waste and aligned work with validated user needs, enabling me to succeed from day one.
John Sylvester
Before the accelerator, I might not have paused to think differently before building. During the course of the 12-week program, I applied lessons learnt into "SlikRide", a leanstart-up my friend and I started, validating on-demand vehicle service in underserved cities starting from Ogbomoso.
Today, everything still runs on WhatsApp as we test assumptions. I’ll never forget our first week: 14 rides and 1 delivery completed, a mix of shock and excitement! PLA taught me to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
Richard
Before PLA, I mainly worked in an administrative role within product management, relying heavily on instructions from my boss. I sensed issues but couldn’t articulate them or propose improvements. I felt stuck and unsure how to grow beyond basic tasks.
The first PLA session with Chidi gave me clarity on my role, gaps in our product practice, and how to think strategically. I started applying these insights, shifting from following instructions to contributing ideas and leading discussions. This transformation boosted my confidence and influence, leading to a promotion from Associate, Product and Customer Success Lead to Senior Associate, Product and Customer Success after the Rwanda immersion trip.
Seun
After Kulaba attended the PLA Fellowship, we noticed a clear, positive shift in him. He became more confident and structured in guiding innovators. His thinking is now grounded in understanding real problems, users, and value. This shows in how he plans, asks questions, and supports teams—everything is more focused. It’s refreshing to see him bring product-thinking into our work. Aggrey’s growth has strengthened how we design and run programs at UNIPOD. Tools and frameworks he introduced improved communication, meeting structure, and alignment. Projects are clearer, and work is smoother. I highly recommend this program to NGOs and the public sector.
Annet Nakandi
Before joining the PLA, I didn’t truly understand Product Management. At my old job, I was called a 'Product Manager,' but I was really just managing developers and timelines. PLA showed me how complex and fascinating it is. I’ve learned to keep questioning until I reach the final 'why,' making my work and the developers' work easier. I now see the importance of avoiding bias, validating with customers, and truly understanding them to define and refine problem statements. Thank you, PLA.
Dani

Before joining PLA, I misunderstood product management as just writing PRDs and roadmaps. PLA taught me to love the problem, connect with users, and embrace discovery. Another major shift was realising you build with users, not for them. PLA taught me to engage users continuously, testing assumptions and validating insights. It transformed me into a problem-obsessed, user-driven, discovery-minded product manager. My user interviews were biased before PLA. I entered conversations with opinions, subtly leading users. Through PLA’s coaching, I learned to ask open-ended questions, uncovering insights that completely shifted our problem narrative—something impossible without this skill.
Oyin
I experienced a significant career milestone after the PLA program, where I connected with a founder at the Inspire Africa Conference, who invited me to join his health-tech startup as a Product Lead—a big step up in responsibility. The PLA program directly prepared me for this role. The Product Operating Model, especially continuous discovery, helped me introduce structured product practices. Using discovery frameworks like problem interviews and hypothesis prioritization, I guided the team from assumption-driven development to evidence-based decisions.
This shift reduced engineering waste and aligned work with validated user needs, enabling me to succeed from day one.
John Sylvester
Before the accelerator, I might not have paused to think differently before building. During the course of the 12-week program, I applied lessons learnt into "SlikRide", a leanstart-up my friend and I started, validating on-demand vehicle service in underserved cities starting from Ogbomoso. Today, everything still runs on WhatsApp as we test assumptions. I’ll never forget our first week: 14 rides and 1 delivery completed, a mix of shock and excitement! PLA taught me to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
Richard
Before PLA, I mainly worked in an administrative role within product management, relying heavily on instructions from my boss. I sensed issues but couldn’t articulate them or propose improvements. I felt stuck and unsure how to grow beyond basic tasks.The first PLA session with Chidi gave me clarity on my role, gaps in our product practice, and how to think strategically. I started applying these insights, shifting from following instructions to contributing ideas and leading discussions. This transformation boosted my confidence and influence, leading to a promotion from Associate, Product and Customer Success Lead to Senior Associate, Product and Customer Success after the Rwanda immersion trip.
Seun
After Kulaba attended the PLA Fellowship, we noticed a clear, positive shift in him. He became more confident and structured in guiding innovators. His thinking is now grounded in understanding real problems, users, and value. This shows in how he plans, asks questions, and supports teams—everything is more focused. It’s refreshing to see him bring product-thinking into our work. Aggrey’s growth has strengthened how we design and run programs at UNIPOD. Tools and frameworks he introduced improved communication, meeting structure, and alignment. Projects are clearer, and work is smoother. I highly recommend this program to NGOs and the public sector.
Annet Nakandi
Before joining the PLA, I didn’t truly understand Product Management. At my old job, I was called a 'Product Manager,' but I was really just managing developers and timelines. PLA showed me how complex and fascinating it is. I’ve learned to keep questioning until I reach the final 'why,' making my work and the developers' work easier. I now see the importance of avoiding bias, validating with customers, and truly understanding them to define and refine problem statements. Thank you, PLA.
Dani

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The Minds Behind the Mission

The Product Leadership Accelerator is powered by a diverse group of ecosystem builders, seasoned product veterans, and strategic thinkers dedicated to elevating African talent.