The African Development Prize rewards outstanding contributions to development in Africa, initiated and led by Africans. This Prize is awarded once every two years. The winners receive 200.000 euros and unique opportunities to increase visibility and promote their ideas and cause to international audiences.

Close the Gap's founder and CEO, Olivier Vanden Eynde, was one of the jury members who evaluated the applicants of this year's Prize. As such, our Communications Director Julie de Bergeyck was present at the official award ceremony at the royal palace on 12 June.

The winner of this year's African Development Prize was Wecyclers, a Nigerian start-up leveraging the power of communities and generating impact in Lagos by redistributing the benefits from recycled waste.

Close the Gap visited Wecyclers last March on the Silicon Lagoon mission to Nigeria, together with a delegation of 40 entrepreneurs, NGOs and start-ups. Click here to read more about the mission and the visit to Wecyclers last March.