Joyce Onwuka
Yango Group has selected 24 participants from more than 600 applicants across six African countries to take part in its 2026 cohort Yango Fellowship programme.
Over 12 weeks, fellows will develop science and technology based projects using technical skills and present them at a final Demo Day in Abidjan.
The selected fellows come from Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique and Ghana, expanding the programme’s reach from two countries last year to six in 2026.
This year’s program focuses on the applied use of artificial intelligence. Participants will build solutions such as tools for health literacy, energy monitoring systems, traffic optimisation models and personalised learning in local languages.
The fellowship is structured in three stages: problem definition and market analysis, product development, and final presentation. It concludes with a Demo Day, where teams present their projects to industry experts and partners and may receive seed funding to support MVP development.
“The Yango Fellowship is part of our long-term investment in local technology ecosystems,” said Adeniyi Adebayo, Chief Business Officer at Yango Group. “By supporting early-stage talent and enabling cross-market collaboration, we aim to contribute to the development of scalable solutions that address real needs across African markets, while helping founders build and grow products that can operate beyond a single country.”
According to the World Bank, Africa faces a shortage of more than 2.5 million STEM professionals. The programme aims to provide hands-on experience and strengthen pathways into technology careers through mentorship and project-based learning.
In previous cohorts, participants developed solutions across health, education and engineering. Some graduates secured internships across partner organisations, while others received funding for community initiatives. Alumni have gone on to launch startups, digital products and non-governmental projects, continuing their work beyond the fellowship.