KAMPALA, Uganda, 22 April 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – As the world marks World Malaria Day, scientists across Africa are exploring new ways to reduce the spread of one of the continent’s deadliest diseases: malaria.
While significant progress has been made over the past two decades, the 2025 Africa Malaria Progress Report warns that momentum in the fight against malaria has stalled. Despite continued efforts, Africa remains off track to meet the African Union’s target of eliminating malaria by 2030, with progress slowing since 2015 and only a handful of countries reaching key reduction milestones.
At the same time, a widening global funding gap, combined with growing challenges such as insecticide resistance, climate pressures and fragile health systems, has raised concerns that malaria could resurge if sustained investment and innovation are not prioritised.
This means researchers need to study complementary approaches that could strengthen malaria prevention to save lives. Among these is gene drive technology, a genetic approach that scientists are investigating as a possible innovation that could complement existing interventions, such as bed nets, insecticides, drugs and vaccines.
Targeting the mosquitoes that spread malaria
Out of more than 3,500 mosquito species worldwide, only a small number transmit malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, just a few closely related mosquito species are responsible for most of the transmission1.
Scientists from Target Malaria are exploring whether gene drive technology could help reduce populations of these malaria-carrying mosquitoes or to stop the parasite from being passed on from mosquito to human.
Anopheles gambiae, An. coluzzii, An. arabiensis and An. funestus.︎
How scientists develop gene drive mosquitoes
Developing gene drive mosquitoes is a long and meticulous process that begins in highly controlled laboratory environments.
Researchers design genetic modifications and carefully introduce them into mosquito embryos using extremely fine needles under microscopes. The process must be done shortly after mosquito eggs are laid, when the embryos are at the right stage of development. Only few researchers in the world have this know-how.
Because the procedure is delicate, not all modified embryos will produce modified mosquitoes; sometimes the genetic modification does not succeed. Scientists then identify which mosquitoes successfully carry the genetic modification and establish laboratory colonies to continue studying the trait over multiple generations.
These colonies allow researchers to observe how the modification is passed on and whether it is inherited at expected rates.
Mosquito larvae are screened in a Petri dish in the lab. Photo credit : Target Malaria
Testing safety and efficacy
Once a colony has been established, scientists carry out extensive laboratory testing to study how the mosquitoes behave and how the modification spreads.
Initial studies take place in small laboratory cages, where researchers observe how gene drive mosquitoes interact and reproduce with wild mosquitoes of the same species.
Further testing is then conducted in larger indoor environments designed to mimic natural conditions, allowing scientists to better understand how the modification might behave outside the laboratory.
Researchers also study important factors such as mosquito lifespan, biting behaviour, disease transmission potential, and resistance to insecticides, comparing gene drive mosquitoes to their wild counterparts.
Mathematical modelling is used alongside laboratory studies to predict how the modification might spread through mosquito populations and what impact it could have on malaria transmission.
Gene drive mosquitoes are still in the research phase, and all studies are currently conducted in contained laboratories in Europe and the United States. There are no gene drive mosquitoes in Africa.
Before any future use could be considered, extensive safety studies must be completed, followed by regulatory review in the countries where research would take place. Engagement with communities and agreement from relevant authorities would also be required.
“As scientists, our goal remains the same: reduce malaria transmission and save African lives,” says Dr. Lukindu.
For a visual representation, view a video series on gene drive here .
About Target Malaria
Target Malaria is a not-for-profit research consortium that aims to develop and share new, cost-effective and sustainable genetic technologies to modify mosquitoes and reduce malaria transmission. Our vision is to contribute to a world free of malaria. We aim to achieve excellence in all areas of our work, creating a path for responsible research and development of genetic technologies, such as gene drive. www.targetmalaria.org.
Target Malaria receives core funding by the Gates Foundation and Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy). The lead grantee organisation is Imperial College London with partners in Africa, Europe and North America.
Young women attending a training in Chad. Credit: Miguel San Joaquin.
Washington, USA, 27 March 2026 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- When you think about sub-Saharan Africa, and about the young women who live across the region, what comes to mind? Many are mothers. Many are tireless workers. Many are the emotional and practical backbone of their households and communities.
But the picture is also changing. Increasingly, more young women are finishing high school, enrolling in university, getting better jobs, and building careers beyond the home. This has not always been the dominant narrative in West and Central Africa, where even today about 40% of young women are neither in school, in training, nor employed.
Linking learning and skills opportunities with access to jobs and real economic pathways for about 3 million women
Across Western and Central Africa, the Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project — known as SWEDD+ — is supporting that change of trajectory.
Building on the original regional SWEDD project launched in the Sahel in 2015, the broader SWEDD/SWEDD+ initiative has reached nearly 3 million women and adolescent girls by linking learning and skills opportunities with real economic pathways and access to maternal and child health services. About 255,000 of these women have gained practical skills and entered the workforce with confidence through the program’s economic empowerment activities. SWEDD+ is expanding the participation and leadership of women and girls while also strengthening institutional capacity for equal rights for women across the region.
Women’s individual stories, spanning fields from skilled trades to healthcare to entrepreneurship, show what becomes possible when talent meets access to opportunity.
“Now we’re motivated and earning money to support our families. We’re happy to bring solar energy to the villages.” Angelique ,Benin.
Angelique and Odette at work. Credit: Miguel San Joaquin.
Angelique and Odette, from Benin, left school in fifth and fourth grade when their families could no longer afford the fees. Today, their path looks very different. Thanks to SWEDD, both young women got trainings in a non-traditional economic activity: building electrification and solar photovoltaic installation. They now have a better job and have been working for over two years with a private company installing solar panels. The pride in their voices is unmistakable. “Now we’re motivated and earning money to support our families,” Angelique says. “We’re happy to bring solar energy to the villages.”
Leaving school because of financial hardship is still a common reality across West and Central Africa. Harmelle, also from Benin, had to leave school at age 14. She married soon after and became a mother, but two years later her husband died, leaving her in a precarious financial situation. A turning point came when she and her twin sister enrolled in a SWEDD entrepreneurship program that provided training and a starter kit for snail farming. With it came something just as important: peace of mind. “When I started farming, there were some difficulties,” she recalls, “but then we began earning money, and everyone was better off.”
Harmelle and her twin sister. Credit: Miguel San Joaquin.
In Chad, Djogoita was inspired by her father, a police officer, to find her own way to serve her community. She chose midwifery and the role has given her both purpose and confidence. “When they bring me a pregnant woman or a child from 0 to 14 years old, I can use the knowledge I gained through my training to help them,” she explains with a great satisfaction of having a fulfilling job.
Djogoita and her father. Credit: Miguel San Joaquin.
Investing in women: one of the smartest economic bets to powering local economies
Across Western and Central Africa, the transformation is underway. With the right skills, support, and opportunities, a new generation of women and girls is not only increasing their own economic independence: they are powering local economies and investing back into their families and communities. The lesson is clear: when young women are given the tools to succeed, the returns reach far beyond the individual. Investing in women and girls is not just the right thing to do; it is one of the smartest economic bets West and Central Africa can make.
Creating more and better jobs across the region is central to the World Bank Group’s mission. By equipping young women with relevant skills and connecting them to real economic opportunities, programs like SWEDD/SWEDD+ directly advance this agenda — turning human potential into productive employment that fuels inclusive and sustainable growth.
In this International Women’s month, the stories of Angelique, Odette, Harmelle, and Djogoita remind us that the future of the region’s growth and resilience is already taking shape: one young woman at a time, trained, employed, and empowered to drive change in her community.
A new peer-to-peer programme pairs emerging designers from the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa for a landmark creative opportunity offering studio space, mentorship, and direct access to buyers, press, and industry leaders
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 18 March 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The British Council together with Paul Smith’s Foundation and Projekt today announced the launch of the Creative DNA x Studio Smithfield a new international exchange programme bringing together a total of six fashion designers from the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme kicked off effective from 16 to 23 March 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the aim to collaborate, share expertise, and forge sustainable creative and professional relationships. The programme marks a significant step in positioning London as a genuinely global fashion hub, built on equal partnership rather than one-way knowledge skills transfer.
Farai Ncube, Regional Arts Director, British Council said: ‘This initiative reflects the British Council’s commitment to supporting the creative economy across Africa and the UK by placing creative professionals and their potential at the centre of sustainable growth. Through authentic collaboration, skills exchange, and mutual respect across cultures, we support designers and creative practitioners in building sustainable enterprises and accessing global markets. This cross-continental residency exchange in London and Ethiopia, with an emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability, will help foster enduring partnerships, facilitate knowledge sharing, and unlock new opportunities for creative talent to thrive and collaborate across borders.’
The six participating designers namely: Solome Asfaw (Ethiopia), Reneta Brehna (UK), Chido Kaseke (Zimbabwe), Bettydora Odhiambo (Kenya), Karoline Vitto (UK), and YAKU (UK) were selected from a closed call application by a jury including representatives from The British Council, Projekt and Paul Smith’s Foundation will receive direct access to industry leaders, buyers, and press through studio tours, professional networking and personal introductions; structured mentorship from Paul Smith’s Foundation’s extensive professional network; production support and facilities access throughout collection development; showcasing opportunities and sustained commercial guidance extending six months post-programme.
‘I was so impressed by the talent of these designers. This kind of residency nurtures the future shapers of the fashion industry, particularly through its invaluable cultural exchange. It reminds us of the importance of learning from voices around the world, and being inspired by our peers,’ said IB Kamara, Creative Director of Off-White.
International designers will be hosted within the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield a flagship business development programme for early-career fashion designers created by the Mayor of London, Projekt and Paul Smith’s Foundation, with support from British GQ and the City of London Corporation. The Residency offers free studio space for 18 months and more than 80 hours of business training delivered by industry experts.
‘We’re very excited to be working with the British Council and Paul Smith’s Foundation on this new, innovative programme. Providing subsidised and funded spaces and opportunities for collaboration is a key part of Projekts’ ethos, and we’re proud that this programme reflects our commitment to offering space and infrastructure that enables designers to develop and grow their businesses,’ Nick Hartwright, CEO of Projekt.
Rather than a traditional mentorship model, the programme is designed so that UK and African designers learn from each other sharing perspectives on sustainability, traditional craftsmanship, digital innovation, and the distinct challenges and opportunities of their respective markets. Practical studio sessions are woven together with cultural immersion and reflective learning, creating an experience that deepens each designer’s creative identity and sharpens their commercial edge.
‘We are delighted to be co-creating this new opportunity for international creative exchange. At Paul Smith’s Foundation we champion the enduring value of peer-to-peer support, and are excited to see how these brilliant brands develop their vision through the sharing of knowledge, skills and experiences,’ added Martha Mosse, Director of Paul Smith’s Foundation.
At the heart of Creative DNA x Studio Smithfield is a commitment to genuine creative equality. Rather than traditional mentorship models, the programme aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of sustainability, traditional craftsmanship, and digital innovation while expanding their entrepreneurial and creative skill sets. By blending practical, hands-on sessions with reflective learning and cultural immersion, the programme intends to create a holistic experience that enhances each designer’s creative identity and professional potential.
About The British Council Creative DNA The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2024–25 we reached 599 million people. Creative DNA is a flagship programme of the British Council’s creative economy portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2020, it has supported over 200 fashion entrepreneurs across Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Malawi through mentorship, business development, and showcasing opportunities. The programme is designed to strengthen creative enterprises, foster inclusion, and build international connections between Africa and the UK. www.britishcouncil.org
About Projekt Projekt was founded by Nicholas Hartwright as a social enterprise in 2012 in response to the lack of affordable creative workspaces in London. Since then, Projekt has opened an arts hotel, multiple creative large-scale music venues and hosts a wide range of events of organisations across its London sites, spanning over a million square feet and directly supporting hundreds of creative business tenants and organisations. Through Projekt’s work with the Mayor of London, the Greater London Authority, the Corporation of London and the British Council, the team at Projekt have come to understand that it’s about providing spaces and building networks, fostering community and shaping culture. This approach to large-scale community building is reflected in Projekt’s ability to collaborate with clients from the ground up and runs through the heart of Projekt’s development and repurposing of every site whether a smaller individual building or a large-scale development project. www.thisisprojekt.com
About Paul Smith’s Foundation Paul Smith’s Foundation supports early career creative people working in fashion, visual arts, and design. Through in depth and bespoke business mentoring, the Foundation equips creatives with the insight, tools, and network they need to establish and sustain a healthy business for the long term. Through partnerships, we create paid opportunities to freely make, encouraging curiosity and experimentation without financial burden, whilst nurturing potential to help shape a dynamic and enterprising creative sector. https://www.paulsmithsfoundation.org/
By Zwelethu Bashman, Managing Director, MSD South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Marloes Kibacha, Managing Director, Africa Health Business, Cheyenne Braganza, Senior Project Associate, Africa Health Business
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 22 January 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ –
Introduction Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally, despite being almost entirely preventable. In Africa, it continues to claim lives not because science has failed, but because policy ambition has fallen short. Over 200 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) exist, with 12 high-risk types responsible for most HPV-related cancers. [1] Although HPV vaccines can prevent almost 90% of cervical cancer, most women remain unvaccinated, leaving cervical cancer among the top killers of women worldwide, with more than 94% of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. [2] At current rates of vaccination and coverage, hundreds of thousands of African women will die from a cancer that could have been prevented with vaccines already available.
Cervical cancer hits the hardest where vulnerability is greatest. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the highest prevalence of cervical HPV, affecting nearly one in four women. [3] Women living with HIV face an even steeper risk, as weakened immune systems make them more susceptible to persistent HPV infection and four to five times more likely to develop invasive cervical cancer. [4] Without urgent action, these inequities will continue to drive preventable deaths across the continent. Recently, Gavi’s inclusion of higher-valency HPV vaccines is an important development in the global HPV prevention landscape and a relevant consideration for countries across sub-Saharan Africa as they continue to strengthen cervical cancer prevention efforts.
Vaccinating Girls First: Africa’s Critical Foundation In 2018, the WHO launched a global call to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat, built on three pillars: vaccination, screening, and timely treatment. Central to this strategy is fully vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15. [5] This focus on adolescent girls is a critical foundation, and African countries have made meaningful progress in recent years.
Rwanda offers a powerful example. In 2011, it became the first African country to introduce a national HPV vaccination program targeting adolescent girls through a robust school-based platform. Today, Rwanda has achieved over 90% coverage among eligible girls, one of the highest rates globally. [6] This success reflects strong political leadership, community trust, and effective delivery systems. But even Rwanda’s success highlights a fundamental limitation. High coverage among adolescent girls alone does not protect older women, boys, or men, nor does it fully interrupt HPV transmission within the broader population. A girls-only strategy, while necessary, is insufficient for elimination.
HPV Is Not a Women-Only Virus HPV continues to be framed primarily as a women’s health issue because of its link to cervical cancer. This framing is both incomplete and counterproductive. Men are not only carriers of HPV, they are also affected by HPV-related disease. Globally, one in three men is infected with at least one HPV strain, often after age 15. [7] In sub-Saharan Africa, HPV prevalence among men remains high, sustaining community-level transmission. [8]
HPV also causes anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers, conditions that disproportionately affect men and are increasing globally. [8, 9] Excluding boys and men from vaccination strategies perpetuates transmission to women and leaves men unprotected from largely preventable cancers.
Why Gender-Neutral Vaccination Matters for Elimination If Africa is serious about elimination, vaccination strategies must reflect how HPV actually spreads. Expanding vaccination to boys and men is not only a matter of equity, it is an epidemiological necessity. Gender-neutral vaccination accelerates herd immunity, reduces circulation of high-risk HPV types, and offers critical protection for high-risk populations, including people living with HIV. [10]
Yet progress remains uneven. Only 29 of 54 African countries have implemented national HPV vaccination programs, and nearly all focus exclusively on girls aged 9 to 14. [11]This is an important starting point, but it will not break the cycle of transmission. Elimination demands moving beyond a single cohort and a single gender.
The Forgotten Cohort: Women Who Aged Out While adolescent girls remain the priority, millions of women across Africa missed HPV vaccination entirely. Many aged out before programs were introduced, while others were missed due to COVID 19 disruptions. [12] These women, now in their 20s and 30s, represent the largest group at near term risk and will drive cervical cancer incidence over the next decade if left unprotected. [13]
In addition, women living with HIV (WLHIV) require tailored protection. Sub-Saharan Africa carries the world’s highest prevalence of HIV among women. [14] WLHIV experience higher rates of persistent HPV infection, faster quicker disease progression, increased recurrence, and poorer outcomes. Modelling shows that vaccinating WLHIV aged 10–45 could reduce new cervical cancer cases by 4.7% overall and by 10% among WLHIV. [15]
The evidence is clear. Sexually active women over 15 still benefit from HPV vaccination, as they may not have been exposed to all high-risk HPV types. [16, 17] Catch-up vaccination, particularly when combined with screening, can substantially reduce future cancer incidence. Integrating HPV vaccination into HIV care, university health services, and workplace health programs offers practical, scalable pathways to reach this cohort. [18]
The socioeconomic case is clear. Women contribute an estimated 35–45% of GDP across the region. Preventing cervical cancer protects households, sustains productivity, and reduces catastrophic health expenditure. [19] Yet across the continent, adult women remain largely invisible in HPV prevention policies. This gap is not scientific. It is political.
Leadership, Systems, and Smarter Policy Choices African governments are central to closing the HPV protection gap. While the number of countries delivering HPV vaccines has tripled since 2019 and coverage has doubled, the regional average remains just 52%, far below the 90% target. [20] Sustainable progress requires integrating HPV vaccines into routine immunization schedules, securing predictable domestic financing, and strengthening supply chains.
Kenya’s recent decision to introduce a single-dose HPV vaccine for girls shows how policy can adapt to improve efficiency and access. However, simplification alone will not address missed cohorts or limited population-level protection. Other countries in the region are also adapting policy to expand reach, with Botswana integrating higher-valency HPV vaccines within national prevention planning aligned with HIV care, and Eswatini expanding HPV vaccination in 2024 to include adolescent girls and young women living with HIV. [21, 22]
Adult vaccination pathways should be integrated into reproductive health services, alongside catch-up vaccination for older adolescents and women. Efforts should target cohorts missed by school-based programmes, including out-of-school girls and WLHIV – using multi-channel delivery platforms such as clinics, HIV programmes, mobile outreach, and innovative community-based models. [23]
As science evolves, policy must keep pace. Transitioning to nonavalent vaccines offers broader protection against high-risk HPV types and greater long-term impact in high-burden settings. [24] Procurement decisions should be driven by epidemiology, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, not short-term constraints.
The Role of Partnerships and Innovation Industry, alongside governments and civil society, has a role to play in supporting national cervical cancer elimination goals.
Between 2021 and 2025, MSD supplied over 115 million HPV vaccine doses to low- and middle income countries, supported by a US$2 billion investment in manufacturing capacity. MSD has also reaffirmed its commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support sustainable HPV vaccine supply and equitable access across Sub-Saharan Africa.
These efforts support broader vaccination strategies, including protection of older cohorts and women living with HIV, and enable country transitions to higher-valency HPV vaccines – an important step toward averting millions of future cancer cases and deaths.
The Choice Africa Must Make Africa cannot eliminate cervical cancer and all other HPV-related diseases by protecting adolescent girls alone. HPV does not respect age, gender, or delivery platforms, and elimination requires population-level protection. This means vaccinating girls, protecting boys, catching up women who were left behind, and building resilient systems that sustain coverage over time.
The tools exist. The evidence is overwhelming. What remains is the choice. If governments and partners act decisively now by expanding HPV vaccination beyond adolescent girls and investing in durable prevention systems, cervical cancer can become a disease of the past. Elimination is not a question of feasibility. It is a question of ambition, and the time to choose is now.
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[4] S. M. T. N. B. R. Liu G, “HIV-positive women have higher risk of human papilloma virus infection, precancerous lesions, and cervical cancer.,” AIDS, October 2018.
[5] K. M. K. S. Wilailak S, “Strategic approaches for global cervical cancer elimination: An update review and call for national action.,” Int J Gynaecol Obstet., 2025. [Online].
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[8] T. B. M. C. C. J. A. K. K. &. K. S. K. Olesen, “Human papillomavirus prevalence among men in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.,” Sexually transmitted infections, 2014.
[9] P. JM., “Human papillomavirus-related disease in men: not just a women’s issue.,” J Adolesc Health, 2010.
[10] G. J. Scheepers VC, “Expanding the case for gender-neutral human papillomavirus vaccination in South Africa: Emerging neonatal and ethical considerations.,” Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med., 2025.
[11] E. I. Eric Asempah, “Accelerating HPV vaccination in Africa for health equity,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. PMID: 39294815, 2024.
[12] I. L. C. M. Sad SA, “Revisiting HPV vaccination post-COVID: geopolitical, sociocultural, and ethical disparities in global health,” Int J Equity Health., 2025.
[13] S. P. Castanon A, “Is the recent increase in cervical cancer in women aged 20-24years in England a cause for concern?,” Prev Med., 2018.
[15] W. J. e. al., “Modelling the Impact of HPV Vaccination among Women Living with HIV.,” Lancet Global Health.
[16] X. M. N. P. P. F. D. M. J. A. K. L. J. M. E. M. S. B. O. M. B. J. V. S. H. R. M. &. S. A. Castellsagué, “End-of-study safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of quadrivalent HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine in adult women 24- 45 years of age.,” British journal of cancer, 2011.
[17] “Human papillomavirus vaccination for adult women,” Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet, 2022.
[18] S. N. e. B. E. A.-D. Kimeshnee Govindsamy, “Effectiveness of integrating cervical cancer prevention strategies into HIV care programmes: A mixed-methods systematic review protocol,” PLOS One, 2024.
[23] “Cervical Cancer Data Surveillance in Sub-Saharan Africa,” WHO & IARC, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://gco.iarc.fr/.
[24] V. V. C. H. e. a. Bobadilla ML, “Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection and Risk Behavior in Vaccinated and Non Vaccinated Paraguayan Young Women.,” Pathogens, 2024.
[25] T. G. e. al., “Implementing HPV Vaccination Services in People Living with HIV in Trinidad and Tobago: A Brief Report,” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers, 2025.
[26] G. M. E. Al., “Human papilloma virus vaccination in the resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and recommendations,” Vaccine X, vol. 20, 2024.
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RABAT, Morocco, 19th January 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/-As the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 unfolded, TECNO, Official Global Partner of the tournament, was actively extending the matchday experience beyond stadiums and screens through a series of Technology Carnival activations and offline watching parties that took place across multiple African countries.
Launched alongside the tournament and running throughout the AFCON competition period until 18 January 2026, these activations were designed as immersive, fan-first experiences that brought football, technology and entertainment together in public spaces, retail locations and pop-up venues.
Across North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and key AFCON markets, fans gathered at TECNO-organized watching parties featuring live match screenings, interactive product displays, AI-powered demonstrations, performance shows, interactive games, lucky draws and temporary pop-up stores. These shared spaces allowed visitors to engage with TECNO’s AI ecosystem while celebrating the collective energy, emotion and passion that defined African football culture.
At each activation, TECNO showcased how AI-driven technology enhanced the way fans experienced the game, from understanding match dynamics to capturing and sharing standout moments. Visitors discovered TECNO smartphones and devices in hands-on environments, exploring features designed to make football moments clearer, smarter and more immersive.
AFCON Retail Events Deployed Throughout the Tournament
Running in parallel with the offline watching parties, TECNO also rolled out a wide range of AFCON-themed retail events, which were active across multiple countries and continued until 18 January, with schedules adapted to local markets.
These in-store activations translated the excitement of AFCON directly into everyday shopping experiences through interactive consumer mechanics, including :
Cashback promotions via lucky draw on selected devices such as POP 10, SPARK 40 and CAMON 40
Points-based rewards through TECNO’s Points Mall
Interactive AFCON TECNO AI Analysis experiences that allowed fans to explore AI-driven insights around ongoing matches
“Rank Your Own AFCON Team” challenges, encouraging fans to build and debate their ideal tournament line-ups
Additional localized games, giveaways and fan engagement activities
By integrating football culture into retail environments, TECNO ensured that fans remained connected to the tournament not only during match time, but throughout their daily routines.
Making AFCON a More Participatory Experience Through AI
These Technology Carnival activations reflected TECNO’s broader ambition to make football more participatory, more interactive and more emotionally engaging. Rather than positioning AI as a distant technology, TECNO presented it as an intuitive companion that enhanced how fans followed matches, relived key moments and expressed their passion throughout the tournament.
As an Official Partner of the Confederation of African Football, TECNO activated across stadiums, fan zones, retail spaces and communities, ensuring that AFCON 2025 was experienced not only as a competition, but as a continent-wide cultural celebration powered by TECNO AI.
As the tournament came to a close and momentum peaked during the final stages, TECNO’s Technology Carnival emerged as a powerful demonstration of how technology, football and community came together, transforming every match, reaction and celebration into a moment worth powering.
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, 17 December 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-Yango Group, a global tech company, has announced the next chapter of its Yango Fellowship; a program designed to unlock the potential of STEM talent across Africa. By providing mentorship, resources, and networks, the Fellowship helps participants turn ideas into solutions that benefit their communities. After successfully launching in Zambia and Ivory Coast, Yango is bringing the program to four more countries – Mozambique, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal.
The expanded Yango Fellowship will provide financial support, expert guidance, and access to a cross-country community of Fellows working on impactful solutions for their communities. As the last years students of the programme landed prestigious internships that will help them achieve significant results in their future careers, in 2026 Yango is moving beyond country levels and builds to create a network of STEM professionals that will function after the conclusion of the year’s programme, defying borders and uniting aspiring young people from different African regions.
Across Africa, the demand for skilled scientists, engineers, and technologists far exceeds the number of graduates entering these fields. The World Bank estimates a shortage of more than 2.5 million STEM professionals needed to support sustainable economic growth across sub-saharan Africa. At the same time, Africa’s rapidly growing youth population faces a persistent skills gap: only 10–15% of young people have access to quality digital or technical training, and fewer than 5% gain experience in fields such as programming, data analysis, or cybersecurity.
With 10–12 million young people entering the labor market each year and only about 3 million formal jobs created annually, the need for practical STEM education, mentorship, and career pathways is urgent. By expanding the fellowship to new regions, Yango aims to help build a diverse, capable, and future-ready STEM workforce, empowering students to develop solutions for challenges faced by their communities. The program encourages collaboration, creativity, and leadership, while building a supportive alumni network that spans the continent.
Adeniyi Adebayo – Chief Business Officer at Yango Group, said:“Africa has an extraordinary pool of talent, who bring creativity, and problem-solving energy. The Yango Fellowship is a hands-on program designed to support these talents, connecting young innovators with the mentorship, resources, and knowledge they need to develop solutions that benefit their communities. This year, the program will be held at our African hub in Abidjan, and with its expansion to six countries, we can share expertise, learn together, and harness technology to make a real impact across the continent.”
The Fellowship has already delivered meaningful impact: past Fellows have launched community projects and became role models in their countries. Yango’s local hubs play a key role in mentoring Fellows, ensuring the program strengthens both talent and local ecosystems.
Beyond the Fellowship, Yango is driving digital innovation by partnering with universities and educational organizations across its markets, sharing expertise with young data scientists and IT students. Through programs like Urban Mobility Hackathons, participants tackle real-world traffic prediction challenges, gaining skills they can apply to improve their cities and communities. All of Yango’s youth initiatives are designed to empower participants with practical knowledge while creating tangible benefits for their local communities and countries.
Applications are now open to university STEM students aged 18–25 in all six countries. Interested candidates can apply until January 26, 2026, at yangofellowship.com.
Watch here testimonial videos of first cohort of Zambian STEM fellows.
LAGOS, Nigeria, 11 December 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-RegTech Africa today formally announces the publication of the 2024 State of RegTech in Sub-Saharan Africa Report, a comprehensive, data-driven industry report examining the rapid evolution of regulatory innovation across Africa’s financial ecosystem. The report provides strategic insights into the growth of RegTech and SupTech, regulatory innovation, financial inclusion, and the critical role of technology in strengthening consumer protection across emerging and complex markets.
The report positions Sub-Saharan Africa as one of the most dynamic frontiers for regulatory technology, driven by the expansion of FinTech, mobile money, cross-border payments, and real-time digital supervision. It highlights how regulators and financial institutions are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence, machine-readable regulation, and cloud-based architectures to manage risk while expanding access to formal financial services.
“This report marks a defining moment for Africa’s regulatory and digital finance ecosystem. RegTech is no longer a back-office function, it is now core infrastructure for trust, stability, and inclusive growth. The report captures how African regulators and market participants are moving from reactive compliance to proactive, technology-driven supervision.”
The publication also underscores the growing adoption of Supervisory Technology (SupTech) by central banks and financial authorities, signaling a structural shift towards real-time, data-driven oversight across the continent.
Commenting on the broader implications of the report, Dr. Tunde Ibidapo-Obe, CEO, Regfyl, stated:
“The findings of this report clearly demonstrate that Africa is shaping a uniquely innovative model of digital regulation. The convergence of RegTech and SupTech is enabling safer markets, stronger consumer protection, and scalable financial inclusion that other regions are increasingly studying and learning from.”
The 2024 State of RegTech in Sub-Saharan Africa Report serves as a strategic benchmark for policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, FinTech leaders, investors, and development partners seeking to understand the next phase of digital financial infrastructure in Africa.
RegTech Africa is a leading platform advancing regulatory technology adoption through research, policy engagement, industry convening, and capacity building across emerging markets.
NAIROBI, Kenya, 10 December 2025-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-There is a $130 billion annual investment gap hindering the world’s mission to achieve universal access to climate-resilient water and sanitation services by the year 2030, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) reports. In Africa, the gap is estimated at no less than an additional $30 billion annually.
In October 2025, nearly 50 ministerial level delegates worldwide gathered in Madrid at the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting to discuss ways to better integrate water, sanitation, and climate action goals at a governmental level.
For participating African delegates, this was an opportunity to include African perspectives on the global stage ahead of COP30 and the UN 2026 Water Conference. It was also essential to help establish the globe’s five-pillar guidelines.
5 critical Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Climate statistics in Africa calling for critical measures
Priority #1: Embed water, sanitation, hygiene, and climate priorities into national adaptation plans, climate commitments, and development strategies.
In 2018, 71% of African countries were in the medium-low to very low categories of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) implementation, according to a report by UNEP. Fast forward to 2024 and UNEP’s “Progress on implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management” report revealed that none of the African sub-regions are on track to achieve the aspirational global SDG 6.5 target of ‘Very High’ (91-100%) IWRM implementation by 2030.
There lies a critical gap in governance due to these stagnations that isolated sector projects cannot fix. It’s time for nations to move beyond fragmented management and operationalize political and institutional integration.
Ministers must work to embed water, sanitation, and hygiene mandates directly into central national adaptation plans and broader development strategies. Governments have the power to secure the political leverage and institutional coherence required to turn these IWRM metrics around, to accelerate progress and reach the SDG targets.
Inclusive, Rights-Based Services
Priority #2: Use data to identify and reach the most vulnerable populations, children, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and displaced communities, while promoting transparency and community participation.
As women, girls, and children remain the most vulnerable, these stats are concerning for Africa.
The failure to achieve universal access is a clear indication that broad, generalized interventions are not sufficient. To close this gap and prioritize those suffering most, governments must immediately implement inclusive and rights-based services.
The only way to move beyond these alarming statistics is to use high-quality, disaggregated data to accurately identify, locate, and track the concerned underserved communities and groups of people. This should ensure that future WASH investments are precisely targeted, transparent, and driven by the needs of the most vulnerable.
Resilient Systems and Risk Management
Priority #3: Incorporate climate and environmental risk assessments into planning, and promote nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration.
A September 2025 publication by the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) underlined the direct link between climate change, water scarcity, and displacement on the continent.
The study asserts that 2 million people in East Africa have been displaced due to drought and conflicts, with migration into urban areas straining cities like Nairobi.
In 2024, Earth.org warned that climate change could displace up to 700 million people in Africaby 2030 due to increasing water scarcity and related shocks. With the figure currently standing at 400 million, the High-Level Leaders Compact priority for resilient systems and risk management is legitimately high on the agenda.
To build true resilience against these shocks, leaders must move beyond reactive measures and proactively incorporate climate and environmental risk assessments into all levels of urban planning. Investing in nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration is essential to stabilizing these vulnerable regions.
The approach is straightforward: Address the root environmental degradation driving these migration crises.
Sustainable and Innovative Financing
Priority #4: Mobilize domestic and international resources through green and blue bonds, results-based financing, and public-private partnerships.
According to the World Bank, public-private partnerships account for only 3 percent of total water sector investment in Africa, with state-owned enterprises and public entities providing the remaining 97 percent of investment. This is far below private participation in other infrastructure sectors, underscoring the need for stronger mechanisms to attract and sustain investment in water.
Unlocking greater resources will require improving incentives for investors, strengthening project pipelines, and deploying targeted de-risking instruments that reduce uncertainty while safeguarding public value. Ensuring coherence with the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security and Resilience will further help align public and private action.
With these conditions in place, tools such as green and blue bonds, results-based financing, and well-structured public-private partnerships can more effectively expand financing for water security and sanitation systems.
Political Leadership and Accountability
Priority #5: Ensure that water and sanitation remain at the top of global and national policy agendas, including through mutual accountability frameworks such as those facilitated by Sanitation and Water for All (SWA).
Sub-Saharan Africa losesan estimated 5% of its annual GDP due to poor sanitation, lack of water or its contamination. Highlighting the seriousness of the matter and the responsibility of ministers, a preamble statement from the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security & Resilience declares:
“We acknowledge that fragmented policies, weak coordination, and insufficient and inefficient financing continue to challenge progress. Addressing these barriers requires strengthened political leadership, inclusive whole-of-government collaboration, inclusive governance, and more predictable and efficient investments that meet the needs of all people, particularly the most vulnerable.”
In the aftermath of the Madrid Commitment on Water Security, Sanitation & Climate Resilience
As the rest of the world, African ministers have pledged to “collaborate with Sanitation and Water for All partnership to track progress through systematic monitoring, aligned with national systems and global frameworks like SDG 6 indicators, broad multi-stakeholder collaboration, and continual adaptive learning.”
The compact produced at the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting has been endorsed by 29 states, more than half of which are African.
Indeed, Burundi, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda and The Gambia joined the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW), the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in the Water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS), UNICEF and 14 other organizations in endorsing and pushing for the implementation of the five global priorities identified in the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security & Resilience.
The door remains open for more governments to join this compact and express their serious intention to achieve sanitation and water security as well as resilience which is needed for healthy populations, economic development, and environmental sustainability
For 15 years, the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership, hosted by UNICEF, has united governments, civil society, private sector actors, and development partners to advance the human rights to water and sanitation for all. With over 500 partners worldwide, SWA drives political commitment, strengthens institutions, and promotes accountability to achieve lasting results.
$1.4B investment expands access to evidence-backed tools to help farmers in some of the world’s poorest regions adapt and build more resilience to droughts, floods, heat waves
BELÉM, Brazil, 7 November 2025 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/-The Gates Foundation today announced a new commitment to advancing climate adaptation, helping smallholder farmers build resilience to a warming world and protect hard-won gains against poverty.
Announced at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where leaders are emphasizing locally driven adaptation, the four-year, $1.4 billion investment will expand access to innovations that help farmers across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia adapt to extreme weather. In these regions, where food security and livelihoods depend on agriculture, smallholder farmers and the communities they feed are among the most exposed to droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. Yet less than 1% of global climate finance targets the growing threats to these vital food systems.
“Smallholder farmers are feeding their communities under the toughest conditions imaginable,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “We’re supporting their ingenuity with the tools and resources to help them thrive—because investing in their resilience is one of the smartest, most impactful things we can do for people and the planet.”
Farmers in low-income countries produce one-third of the world’s food but face mounting climate threats. Without greater adaptation investment, these shocks will continue to drive food insecurity and reverse hard-won gains against poverty.
World Bank research shows that targeted adaptation investments could boost GDP, particularly in small island and developing states, by up to 15 percentage points by 2050. The World Resources Institute estimates that every dollar invested in climate adaptation will yield more than $10 in social and economic benefits within a decade.
“Climate adaptation is not just a development issue—it’s an economic and moral imperative,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation. “This new commitment builds on our support for farmers in Africa and South Asia who are already innovating to withstand extreme weather. But they can’t do it alone—governments and the private sector must work together to prioritize adaptation alongside mitigation.”
Scaling farmer-led innovation
While climate shocks continue to intensify, the financing needed to help farmers adapt to them is not keeping up. According to the 2025 UN State of Food Security and Nutrition report, Africa was the only region where hunger and malnutrition increased this year. Without urgent adaptation, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that agricultural productivity in parts of Africa could drop by up to 20% by 2050.
The foundation’s new investment will scale farmer-led, evidence-backed innovations that strengthen rural livelihoods and food systems amid growing climate threats. It will expand technologies and approaches already showing results, including:
Digital advisory services: Mobile apps, SMS, and other platforms that deliver timely, tailored information to help farmers make informed planting decisions and manage risk, including support for the AIM for Scale initiative, which aims to reach 100 million farmers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America by 2030
Climate-resilient crops and livestock: Varieties that withstand drought, heat, and emerging pests while improving yields and nutrition
Soil health innovations: Approaches that restore degraded land, enhance productivity, and reduce emissions—supported by a $30 million partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation to advance soil science research
Partnerships driving global impact
The new commitment builds on partnerships that were expanded or launched through the foundation’s COP27 pledges and are already reaching millions of farmers. Examples include:
AIM for Scale: Launched in 2023, this global partnership delivered AI-powered SMS weather forecasts to nearly 40 million farmers across 13 Indian states during the 2025 monsoon season, helping protect millions of acres of crops.
TomorrowNow and KALRO: Together with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), TomorrowNow is providing hyper-local weather alerts to more than 5 million Kenyan farmers, improving yields and reducing crop losses, with expansion underway in Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.
The Gates Foundation is working alongside local researchers, governments, and private sector partners to scale such efforts—strengthening rural economies and food systems for the long term.
Collaboration at COP30
This investment reflects a shared global commitment—led by African leaders and Brazil’s COP30 presidency—to put food, livelihoods, and health at the center of resilience planning. Brazil’s own experience linking social programs with sustainable agricultural innovation shows how inclusive adaptation can drive equitable growth.
Together with Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Embrapa, AGRA, AIM for Scale, CGIAR, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and the United Arab Emirates, the foundation will co-host the Agricultural Innovation Showcase at COP30. Both a high level event on November 10 and a physical exhibition, the showcase will highlight affordable, climate-smart solutions designed for and, in many cases, by farmers. More information is available here: https://www.embrapa.br/en/cop30/agrizone
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.
Meekness Lunga-Ayidu, Director Higher Education SSA, British Council, ‘on how African women can thrive within systems designed to advance opportunity and inclusion
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 5 November 2025 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Although access to higher education has improved, Sub Saharan Africa still has the lowest enrolment rate globally with only 9-10% compared to the global average of over 40%. While we have made some progress, we are still lagging. 60% of the young people who are not in education, employment or training are women. In as much as women’s participation in early stage and informal entrepreneurship across SSA now equals or even exceeds that of men, men are significantly more likely to own an established and growth-oriented business. Young women face significant additional barriers when attempting to access education or enter the labour market. Between 8 million to 11 million African youth will enter the labour market every year in the coming decades. Yet, only about 3 million new formal wage jobs are created yearly. Informal and self employment are becoming the norm. Action from governments and the private sector is required to close the gap between the increase in the working-age population and lagging job growth.
At the 16th Quadrennial General Conference of the Association of African Universities (AAU) in Rabat this year, the British Council presented groundbreaking research in collaboration with the African Network for Internationalisation of Education (ANIE) titled ‘Higher Education Gender Analysis: Access to Employability and Entrepreneurship Opportunities’. The research exposes systemic barriers across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. The findings are sobering. Women in higher education still face discrimination, harassment, and exclusion from leadership positions. Gender policies, where they exist, remain poorly understood and rarely enforced. Female graduates face higher unemployment rates than their male counterparts, while socio-cultural norms continue to prioritise boys’ education, contributing to early marriages and dropouts.
The insights highlight the systemic challenges to advancing higher-education gender-responsive reforms in the four main countries, and chart a roadmap for higher education institutions, policymakers, funders, and partners to bridge persistent inequalities and develop enabling systems that could unlock sustainable gender inclusion in higher education. For example, entrepreneurship holds enormous promise for empowerment, yet a lack of start-up capital and support structures remains. By introducing post-graduation accelerator programmes that incorporate entrepreneurship training and seed funding for women, a challenge like this can be transformed into an opportunity for inclusive growth. This demonstrates the urgent need for systemic reforms that will drive innovation, employability, and inclusive growth, and achieve true gender equity in higher education.
The two proven models include programmes such as Innovation for African Universities (IAU) and Gender Equality Partnership grants that form part of the British Council Going Global Partnerships programme. These programmes offer scalable, evidence-based models that other institutions and development partners can replicate or adapt. Through multi-country initiatives, the IAU co-designs and implements projects that equip graduates, especially women, with market-relevant entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. Its approach blends industry-academia collaboration, start-up mentorship, and enterprise-focused curricula. By embedding gender-responsive teaching, strengthening institutional support for female entrepreneurs, and improving access to funding and networks, the IAU shows how higher education can drive economic transformation and support female students.
Gender Equality Partnerships grants foster cross-border collaboration by funding joint research, institutional partnerships, and policy dialogue that centre gender equity as a core value. Together, these initiatives form a practical, evidence-based blueprint for gender parity, turning research into action and offering adaptable frameworks that universities across Africa can implement.
The ‘Higher education gender analysis’ was commissioned under the latter programme, reflecting a clear commitment to embedding gender equity across all higher education initiatives. The study applied the Accountability for Gender Equality in Education (AGEE) framework to ensure its outcomes were evidence-based and intersectional analysis, addressing not only gender but also how it interacts with class, ethnicity, and geography. AGEE is a UNESCO-developed model that helps governments and institutions identify, monitor, and address gender inequalities in education through data-driven analysis, policy reform, and institutional accountability mechanisms.
And the evidence is clear. Systemic change is required and must be driven by three priorities: gender reforms that include robust anti-harassment procedures, gender-responsive policies and gender-sensitive student support services, such as childcare and flexible learning, amongst others; policy reforms that prioritise gender equity in higher education with affirmative action in admissions and faculty recruitment, targeted scholarships, and funding for female students and entrepreneurs; and higher education transformation that invests in digital skills and infrastructure and integrates entrepreneurship education across disciplines.
Higher education is more than access, it is a powerful lever for innovation, job creation, and economic transformation opportunities across sub-Saharan Africa. When business community including universities, governments, funders, and industry partners collectively take action to address gender disparities in higher education, we create a multiplier effect where women gain entrepreneurial skills, secure funding, access mentorship, and break cycles of inequality that have persisted for generations. The economic and social returns extend far beyond individual success stories to shape resilient, innovative societies.
A call for partnership depends on Africa’s future to unleashing the full potential of its people and now this is the moment for universities, governments, and industry partners to act decisively and scale proven models like the Innovation for African Universities and Going Global Partnerships to embed gender equity in policy and practice, and to champion women as the architects of Africa’s next chapter of growth. We cannot afford to leave half our talent behind. The British Council invites education leaders, policymakers, and funders to collaborate on systemic change that transforms access into empowerment and ambition into opportunity. This is the moment to champion women as the architects of Africa’s next chapter of growth based on proven models and frameworks with compelling evidence. Join the British Council in making gender-responsive higher education a reality across the continent.
The British Council builds connections, understanding, and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education, and the English language.
We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefits for millions of people all over the world.
We help young people gain the skills, confidence, and connections they are looking for to realise their potential. We support youth to learn English, get a high-quality education, and gain internationally recognized qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and nurtures creative enterprise.
We are on the ground in over 20 African countries and deliver impact working with local institutions and partners.
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