Africa Centre is a charitable and non-profit organization founded in 2000 by a group of activists within the African diaspora community in Ireland. This group of activists wanted the community to be active participants and have a voice in Irish society. The organization was officially launched in October 2001 by Ms. Melanie Verweord, the then South African Ambassador to Ireland, and Mr. Niall Crowley, the Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority at the time.

The African diaspora communities in Ireland represent, in themselves, the variety of a vast continent with its own rich cultural diversity. The growing presence of these communities produced a need to provide a voice for the growing number of Africans in Ireland, and this is what the Africa Centre community participation is all about.
An enhanced African presence in Ireland means that awareness, contact, and exchange need to be central to the mutual advantage of all interested people. This was a key element in the original vision that saw the emergence of the Africa Centre in the early 2000s.

Since its formal launch in October 2001, the Africa Centre has made great strides. It has promoted and encouraged the development of initiatives that explain African diaspora concerns to a wider audience. Simultaneously, these initiatives encourage the linkages and strategies that enable new African diaspora communities in Ireland to address their needs.