The LPA Model: A New Approach to Funding African Social Enterprises | Yusuf Ahmad | TEDxJimeta

African social entrepreneurs often have strong ideas but find it hard to secure funding. In this TEDxJimeta talk, Yusuf Ahmad encourages founders to look beyond money and to recognise the resources already present in their communities. He presents the LPA model (Listen, Prove, Attract) as a way to build on local knowledge, demonstrate impact, and attract funders whose goals match their own.

• Why many African social enterprises struggle to secure funding
• Using local knowledge and resources already available in communities
• The LPA model: Listen, Prove, Attract
• Demonstrating impact to attract aligned funders

Many African social entrepreneurs have brilliant ideas but struggle to secure funding. In this talk, Yusuf Ahmad challenges founders to look beyond money and recognise the resources already available within their communities. Through the LPA model — Listen, Prove, Attract — he shares how entrepreneurs can build on local knowledge, demonstrate impact, and attract funders who align with their vision. The message is simple: start with what you have, prove what works, and build solutions that create lasting impact. Yusuf Ahmad is a community organiser and agripreneur dedicated to driving social impact and inclusive development. He is the founder of TEDxBauchi and a founding member of Wunti Alkhair Foundation. He has previously worked with the University of Aberdeen Centre for Global Development and Inspiralba, a UK-based non-profit organisation. In 2025, he served as a Scottish Government delegate at the Social Enterprise World Forum in Taiwan. Yusuf holds a Master's degree in Global Health and Management from the University of Aberdeen, UK. His academic research focuses on identifying the historical, economic, and social determinants of contemporary inequalities in health and wellbeing. He brings extensive experience in community engagement, health policy research, and impact evaluation, alongside a growing interest in impact investing This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx