…A gathering to accelerate Africa’s education agenda
Dakar, the capital city of Senegal will play host from 29 June to 1 July 2026, to the
first-ever Yidan Prize Conference in Africa, themed “Unleashing Africa's potential:
the role of education in a new era of development.” Held under the auspices of
the Ministry of National Education of Senegal, the Conference is co-convened by
the Yidan Prize Foundation, Associates in Research and Education for
Development (ARED) (https://ARED-EDU.org), and the Association for the
Development of Education in Africa (ADEA).
It is expected that over 200 delegates, including ministers, researchers,
practitioners, and funders from across Africa and beyond, will gather to showcase
innovative research and practice in education. The Conference will announce
major commitments to advance education in Africa.
The 2026 Yidan Prize Conference builds on the growing momentum in
strengthening learning, skills development, and systems transformation across
Africa. Education ministers from Senegal, the conference host country, The
Gambia, and Ghana, along with a representative of the education ministers of
Côte d’Ivoire and Mauritania, and the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, will open the
Conference and share their insights on leading change in education for
development.
The Honorable Moustapha Mamba Guirassy, Minister of National Education,
Senegal, said, “We are pleased to host the 2026 Yidan Prize Conference. It is an
opportunity to celebrate a champion for Senegal — Mamadou Amadou Ly. It also
brings together institutions that can support our growth into the education hub
we envision — here in Africa and in Senegal.”
Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary of ADEA, said, “This Conference builds
on previous conversations and dialogues to advance Africa’s education priorities.
Including the 2024 Africa Foundational Learning Exchange, the 2025 ADEA
Triennale on Education and Training, and the forthcoming 2026 edition of the
Africa Foundational Learning Exchange. It provides the platform to strengthen collaboration and exchange among countries, across institutions and regions, and to advance African-led solutions to shared challenges facing education.”
Language as a bridge to learning and inclusion
A key focus of the Conference will be foundational multilingual education,
recognizing language as a powerful bridge to learning, identity, and dignity.
Sessions will highlight how the use of national languages can promote learner
engagement, build confidence, and create pathways to further education,
employment, and civic participation.
Countries such as Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania have been advancing
multilingual education at the systems level, supported by ARED. Mamadou
Amadou Ly, Executive Director of ARED and 2025 Yidan Prize for Education
Development Laureate, said, “For over 25 years, ARED has worked alongside
teachers, communities, governments, and development partners to integrate
national languages into education systems. At the 2026 Yidan Prize Conference,
we look forward to sharing lessons and demonstrating how foundational
multilingual learning can drive meaningful and lasting change.”
Education at the heart of a new era of development
The Conference will highlight the central role of education in driving sustainable
development across Africa. “Education transformation is a shared endeavor that
depends on our willingness to learn from one another across sectors and borders.
The Yidan Prize Foundation serves as a platform to spotlight changemakers and
impactful innovations and connect people and ideas globally. This Conference will
showcase Africa as a driving force for its development and share its education
innovations with the world,” said Dr Charles CHEN Yidan, founder of the Yidan
Prize.
Supporting organizations of the Conference include Echidna Giving, the Global
Partnership for Education, Imaginable Futures, International Education Funders
Group, Mastercard Foundation, and UNESCO International Institute of
Educational Planning.