The Rockefeller Foundation has released its 2025 Impact Report titled “Big Bets, Real Results,” highlighting major investments and partnerships aimed at improving health, energy access and food security across Africa and other parts of the world.
The 113 year old philanthropic organisation awarded more than 350 million dollars in 2025, directly mobilised over 3 billion dollars and committed more than 133 million dollars across 66 different projects in Africa alone. The foundation said its programmes have impacted about 731 million people globally.
The report comes at a time when many countries are facing economic uncertainty, aid reductions and growing global challenges linked to climate change, conflict and food insecurity.
One of the major focus areas highlighted in the report is the push to strengthen healthcare systems and disease surveillance across West Africa. Through partnerships involving the Global Fund, the Abbott Foundation and IQVIA, several countries in the region have expanded laboratory infrastructure and improved outbreak monitoring systems.
The initiative has reportedly helped detect more than 100 disease outbreaks across West Africa, including viral haemorrhagic fevers and other epidemic threats. Over 1,000 laboratory technicians have also been trained, while 11 countries in the region now operate sentinel surveillance systems aimed at improving disease monitoring and response.
In Ghana, the foundation partnered with the World Food Programme to improve school feeding programmes through nutritious and locally sourced food supplies.
The partnership focuses on linking schools directly with local farmers, promoting healthier meal options and supporting regional food systems. The initiative also seeks to educate policymakers on the long term health and economic benefits of nutritious school meals while helping governments develop better feeding policies.
The report also highlighted progress recorded in Nigeria under an energy project involving interconnected mini grids powered by solar panels, batteries and grid electricity. According to the foundation, the project has connected about 30,000 people to electricity, created or improved nearly 14,000 jobs and unlocked more than 287 million dollars to support nationwide expansion.
Another innovation featured in the report is FarmerChat, an artificial intelligence powered agricultural platform developed by Digital Green. The application currently supports farmers across countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, India and Brazil with personalised farming advice aimed at helping them adapt to climate related challenges.
The foundation revealed that the app has been downloaded more than 1.6 million times and has handled over 10 million farmer queries across six countries. It also noted that many women using the platform reported increased confidence in investing in their farms.
In Zambia, the report highlighted the impact of Mission 300, an initiative designed to expand electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030. According to the foundation, more than 44 million people have already gained access to electricity through projects backed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
Speaking on the report, William Asiko said the foundation’s Africa Regional Office, which recently marked 60 years, reflects the growing importance of African led solutions in development.
He noted that amid rising global challenges including aid cuts, political tensions and climate related pressures, the future of sustainable development increasingly depends on strengthening local capacity in areas such as healthcare, education and energy while encouraging stronger partnerships across the continent.
