Atlas Network is pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2026 Africa Liberty Award, honoring the region’s most outstanding accomplishments in advancing individual rights and economic freedom. The finalists for this year’s award are Burundi’s Centre for Development and Enterprises Great Lakes, Zimbabwe’s Eastern Caucus, and the Liberalist Centre for Education.

The award will be presented at Africa Liberty Forum in Accra, Ghana, on July 30–31, 2026. This event will convene partners and freedom champions from across the continent to celebrate innovative solutions to Africa’s most pressing public policy challenges and those whose work demonstrates a long-term commitment to advancing liberty in their communities. The nominees' projects cover a wide range of activities, from hosting events which bring together policy stakeholders, to educating people on how to combat restrictive economic practices. Learn more about each organization and how they are championing freedom in their communities.

Centre for Development and Enterprises Great Lakes (Burundi)

Economic freedom rarely advances through a single policy victory. It requires research, public engagement, leadership development, and sustained advocacy that transforms ideas into institutional reform.

This is the model behind “Freedom Week,” the flagship initiative of Centre for Development and Enterprises (CDE) Great Lakes. Since launching in 2019, the program has grown from a one-day gathering of 20 participants into Burundi’s largest independent platform promoting economic freedom, free markets, and structural reform for the Francophone world. Now held over six days, Freedom Week convenes government officials, parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, journalists, students, and civil society leaders to discuss policies that expand opportunity, improve the business climate, and strengthen individual liberty.

Built around seven complementary pillars—including the Burundi Economic Summit, Women Economic Forum, and Public Policy Research Day—that connect research, public debate, media engagement, and policy advocacy, this integrated model has created a reform pipeline that moves ideas from locally produced research to measurable, institutional change.

The initiative has helped advance reforms in areas such as monetary policy, digital commerce, and regional trade integration, while improving administrative efficiency and market openness. In addition, the organization is expanding women’s economic rights, improving media transparency, and strengthening transparency. By emphasizing homegrown policy solutions and cultivating a new generation of leaders, CDE Great Lakes has strengthened the role of independent civil society in shaping not only Burundi’s economic future but providing a framework that is already inspiring similar initiatives across the region.

Eastern Caucus (Zimbabwe)

In Zimbabwe, high taxes and limited government accountability have placed growing pressure on entrepreneurs, businesses, and ordinary citizens. To address these challenges, The Eastern Caucus (TECA) launched the #MyTaxMyVoice campaign to educate taxpayers, amplify public voices, and advocate for a tax system that supports, rather than stifles, economic opportunity. What began as a public awareness campaign has grown into one of Zimbabwe’s most visible civil society initiatives focused on tax reform and government accountability.

The campaign combines public education, media engagement, policy advocacy, and direct engagement with government institutions. The Eastern Caucus submitted formal policy recommendations to the Office of the President, Parliament, and the Ministry of Finance while using newspapers, the radio, and social media to build public support for reform. By continuing to present evidence-based proposals and maintain open communication, they helped establish taxation and the cost of doing business as central national policy issues.

Momentum grew in 2025 when the government announced plans to review its tax policy. TECA then created the Zimbabwe Taxpayers Platform (ZITAP), an initiative within #MyTaxMyVoice dedicated to taxpayer rights, public education, and policy research. Through newsletters, surveys, and ongoing advocacy, ZITAP has become a leading voice on taxation in Zimbabwe, generating new data on public attitudes and encouraging discussions about transparency and fiscal policy.

By empowering citizens to engage with tax policy and advocating for a more competitive business environment, TECA has helped shift Zimbabwe’s conversion from simply paying taxes to demanding value, accountability, and economic freedom. The #MyTaxMyVoice campaign shows how a small think tank can build large public support for reform, engage constructively with the government, and create lasting institutions that strengthen taxpayer rights and entrepreneurship.

Liberalist Centre for Education (Nigeria)

Across much of Africa, debates about economic policy are often dominated by skepticism of free markets and support for state-led solutions. The Liberalist Centre for Education launched the Journalism for Liberty Project in 2022 to help change that narrative by equipping journalists with the knowledge, skills, and resources to produce compelling reporting on economic freedom, entrepreneurship, and limited government. Since then, they have trained more than 200 journalists across Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia, helping generate over 150 liberty-focused stories across those countries and reaching more than 10 million readers.

The project combines a six-month Journalism for Liberty Fellowship with The Liberalist media platform, creating a space for advancing pro-liberty ideas. Fellows receive training in economics, policy, and investigative reporting, along with mentorship and micro-grants to produce high-impact journalism. Rather than simply promoting abstract principles, the Journalism for Liberty Project uses storytelling and real-world examples to demonstrate how markets and accountable governance improve people’s lives.

By building a growing network of journalists who continue reporting on taxation, regulation, governance, and economic reform long after completing the fellowship, the Liberalist Centre has created a sustainable model for advancing freedom through media. Lasting policy change begins with changing public understanding, and strengthening Africa’s infrastructure for liberty means ensuring that the ideas of economic freedom are communicated through accessible and credible journalism.

The Africa Liberty Forum is part of the Templeton Freedom Award Prize Program, sponsored by Templeton Religious Trust after the late philanthropist, Sir John Templeton. In addition to Africa, the program sponsors similar awards in Asia, Latin America, North America, Europe, and the Middle East & North Africa, providing grant funding to high-achieving organizations who are making innovative contributions to economic freedom. Its grand prize, The Templeton Freedom Award, is presented annually at Atlas Network’s Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner in New York City.

“Across Africa, a new generation of freedom champions is proving that lasting change begins with ideas and the courage to put those ideas into action,” said Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips. “This year’s finalists are tackling some of their countries’ most pressing challenges, from burdensome taxation and excessive regulation to weak institutions and misconceptions about free markets. Through rigorous research, strategic advocacy, and coalition-building, they are expanding economic freedom, strengthening accountable governance, and creating greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and ordinary citizens alike. Their work is a powerful reminder that principled leadership and persistent, locally-driven reform, can improve lives and help build freer, more prosperous societies.”

Congratulations to Centre for Development and Enterprises Great Lakes, Eastern Caucus, and the Liberalist Center for Education on being named finalists for the 2026 Africa Liberty Award. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and announcing this year’s winner at the 2026 Africa Liberty Forum.