The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) was established by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in 2005 to reinforce the capacities of civil society in the sub-region. The Institute became operational in July 2007.

WACSI’s mission: WACSI is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of civil society organisations through capacity strengthening programmes for increased and effective policy engagement, and the promotion of development, good governance and democratic values in West Africa.

WACSI's Vision: WACSI envisions a West Africa of efficient, effective, and influential civil society functioning as strategic partners for democracy, good governance and sustainable national development.

Their Theory of Change: They enhance the capacity of civil society to adequately and effectively partner government and the private sector to achieve sustainable development in West Africa.

The role of WACSI is to serve as a resource centre for training, research, experience sharing and dialogue for CSOs in West Africa

Regional focus: Having understood the challenges that development practitioners face in the West African sub region, their creative and custom-made interventions continue to respond to operational and institutional challenges of national and regional civil society institutions in Liberia, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal. In the near future, the Institute will also focus on invigorating, the capacities of development practitioners in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau.

WACSI is the co-implementing partner of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme.