Yango Group has named 24 fellows for its 2026 Yango Fellowship, selecting them from more than 600 applicants across six African countries.
The 12-week programme will see participants design and build science and technology projects, with a strong focus on applied artificial intelligence. Their work will be showcased at a final Demo Day in Abidjan.
This year’s cohort comes from Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique and Ghana—an expansion from just two countries in the previous edition.
Participants will develop practical solutions, including tools for health literacy, energy monitoring systems, traffic optimisation models, and personalised learning platforms in local languages.
The fellowship is organised in three stages: problem definition and market analysis, product development, and final presentation. At the end of the programme, teams will pitch their projects to industry experts and partners, with the possibility of securing seed funding to support minimum viable products.
According to Adeniyi Adebayo, Chief Business Officer at Yango Group, the initiative is part of a long-term effort to support Africa’s tech ecosystem.
He said the programme is designed to nurture early-stage talent, encourage cross-border collaboration, and help founders build scalable solutions for real-world challenges.
Data from the World Bank shows Africa faces a shortage of more than 2.5 million STEM professionals. The fellowship aims to help bridge this gap through hands-on training, mentorship, and project-based learning.
Previous cohorts have produced solutions in health, education and engineering. Some participants secured internships with partner organisations, while others received funding to expand community-based projects.
Alumni have also gone on to launch startups, digital products, and non-governmental initiatives, extending the impact of the programme beyond its duration.
