In the Press

July 2026: Representing the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu the National Merit Award was presented to DOWA co-founder, Ola Erogbogbo by Her Excellency Hajia Nana Shettima, Second Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

Read More: NiDCOM Honours 32 Outstanding Nigerians in Diaspora For Contributions To National Development

Doing Good Work in Africa (DOWA) Receives 2026 National Diaspora Merit Award for Contributions to National Development

Five-year-old nonprofit recognized by Nigeria’s Diaspora Commission as it expands a global talent pipeline connecting students and young professionals with innovators and organizations across Africa

CHICAGO / ABUJA, Nigeria — August 2026 — Doing Good Work in Africa (DOWA), a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit building a global talent pipeline between emerging professionals and African innovation ecosystems, has received a 2026 National Diaspora Merit Award from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).

The recognition was presented during the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria, which brought together government officials, members of the diplomatic community, development partners and Nigerians in the diaspora.

According to NiDCOM, the National Diaspora Merit Awards recognize Nigerians in the diaspora, organizations and distinguished individuals whose achievements and contributions advance national development and positively project Nigeria on the global stage.

For DOWA, the recognition comes as the organization marks five years of connecting emerging global talent with organizations solving real-world challenges across Africa.

Founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by Ola Erogbogbo-Oyeniyi and Emiola Abass, DOWA began with a simple premise: young people in the diaspora and friends of Africa should not have to wait until later in their careers to meaningfully engage with the continent.

Through free internship placement, mentorship, professional development, innovation challenges and cross-border collaboration, DOWA gives students and emerging professionals opportunities to contribute their skills while learning directly from entrepreneurs, innovators and organizations building across Africa.

“This recognition belongs to every intern who took a chance on an organization across the continent, every partner who opened their doors to emerging talent, and every person who believed that access could become a bridge between global talent and African innovation,” said Ola Erogbogbo-Oyeniyi, Co-Founder of DOWA. “Five years ago, we started with a simple idea: create access. Today, we are seeing what can happen when that access becomes sustained engagement, collaboration and impact.”

Five Years of Connecting Talent to Opportunity

Since its launch, DOWA has grown from an initiative created during the pandemic into a cross-border network connecting students, universities, diaspora communities and African organizations.

DOWA’s impact to date includes:

• 3,000+ student applicants

• 100+ interns supported

• 40+ schools represented

• 20+ African partner organizations

• Partnerships spanning 11 African countries

• 500,000+ minutes of intern collaboration

• $10,000+ in grants and internship support disbursed

• More than ₦3.4 million awarded through DOWA Innovation Challenges

• Internship opportunities spanning technology, healthcare, education, business, finance, architecture, data, entrepreneurship and other high-impact sectors

The organization has worked with African innovators, businesses and nonprofits while engaging students from universities in the United States and around the world.

DOWA’s approach is rooted in the belief that diaspora engagement does not have to begin with permanent relocation. Students and young professionals can begin contributing through skills exchange, internships, mentorship, investment, advocacy and sustained professional relationships with organizations on the continent.

Summer 2026 Marks a New Stage of Growth

The recognition comes during DOWA’s largest and most competitive internship cycle to date.

The Summer 2026 DOWA Internship Program attracted more than 700 applications, with approximately 60 interns selected to engage with 20+ partner organizations working across Africa.

Participants are gaining hands-on experience while contributing to projects in areas including technology and innovation, business and strategy, healthcare, education, data and analytics, finance and other sectors.

Beyond internship placements, the 2026 program includes professional development, mentorship, local community engagement and exposure to leaders across business, finance, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The program reflects DOWA’s broader ambition to move beyond one-time internships and build a lasting network of globally minded professionals who remain connected to Africa throughout their careers.

“The internship is the entry point, not the destination,” said Emiola Abass, Co-Founder of DOWA. “Our goal is to develop a generation of innovators, investors, advocates and global professionals who understand that contributing to Africa can take many forms. When young people build these relationships early in their careers, the potential for long-term collaboration and impact multiplies.”

From Brain Drain to Brain Gain

DOWA’s work is part of a broader conversation about how African countries can transform global mobility from a loss of talent into an opportunity for knowledge exchange, investment and collaboration.

NiDCOM Chairman/CEO Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa previously commended DOWA’s model, describing initiatives connecting diaspora youth to African development as important to advancing “brain gain” on the continent.

DOWA’s internship exchange model has also received support from Nigeria’s Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs). In its endorsement of DOWA’s in-person diaspora internship initiative, the office highlighted the program’s potential to facilitate knowledge exchange, strengthen connections between academia and industry, and contribute to sustainable development.

The model aligns particularly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).

For DOWA, however, the ultimate measure of success extends beyond the number of internships completed.

The organization is working toward a future in which former interns become mentors, investors, entrepreneurs, partners and advocates — creating a reinforcing network of talent and opportunity between Africa and its global diaspora.

“Africa does not lack talent, and the diaspora does not lack a desire to contribute,” Erogbogbo-Oyeniyi said. “What is often missing is the infrastructure that connects the two. DOWA is helping build that bridge.”

Looking Ahead

As DOWA enters its next five years, the organization plans to deepen its partnerships with universities, African businesses and innovation ecosystems, diaspora organizations, corporations and development institutions.

Its longer-term goal is to build a sustainable pipeline through which emerging professionals can move from exposure to engagement, and from engagement to long-term contribution across Africa.

The 2026 National Diaspora Merit Award represents both recognition of the work completed and a mandate to continue building.

About Doing Good Work in Africa (DOWA)

Doing Good Work in Africa (DOWA) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 to connect talented students and emerging professionals with innovators and organizations addressing high-impact challenges across Africa.

Through internship placement, mentorship, professional development, innovation challenges and cross-border collaboration, DOWA provides emerging talent with experiential learning opportunities while helping African organizations access a growing global talent network.

DOWA’s mission is to develop a pipeline of future innovators, investors and advocates equipped to contribute to Africa and their communities throughout their careers.

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