Ekenedilichukwu Nsofor

The transition from design to product management often requires a shift in perspective. For Ekene, moving from UI/UX design into product management meant learning to think beyond the experience of a single product and more deeply about the problems, people, and decisions behind it.

“Before PLA, I was a UI/UX designer who had transitioned to product management.”

Yet, while she had made the transition, she knew there was still more to learn. She wanted to be part of a product community and learn from senior leaders who had built technology in Africa, for Africa. That search for community and direction led her to the Product Leadership Accelerator, an initiative of the Innovate Africa Foundation.

For Ekene, the 12-week programme offered something beyond structured learning. It allowed her to learn alongside other product professionals, receive guidance from experienced mentors, and work with a team to build something of their own.

“The biggest value for me was the combination of structure, mentorship, and actually building with a team.”

That collaborative experience extended into the work itself. Within her PLA pod, Ekene and her team are currently building a WhatsApp-integrated AI solution designed to help mechanics and car users repair their cars.

For Ekene, being part of that community changed how she saw herself as a product professional. She became more confident in her product thinking, particularly in product discovery and identifying user pain. That shift played a significant role in her move into her current role as a Product Manager at Kova.

Reflecting on the wider landscape, Ekene points to a challenge that extends far beyond her own experience.

“Organisations like Innovate Africa Foundation matter because talent is everywhere, but access to opportunity isn’t. There are so many young Africans with the ability, ideas, and ambition to build incredible things, but they may not have access to the right mentors, networks, resources, or environments to develop that potential.”

For Ekene, access meant being able to learn from global mentors, build alongside peers, and develop within a community that gave her room to grow.