WAEMU EdTech Conference 2024 Gathers 150 EdTech Stakeholders in Dakar to Discuss Scaling Start-ups for Success and Transforming Education

November 26, 2024. Dakar: EtriLabs, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, hosted the WAEMU EdTech Conference in Dakar from November 25-26, a milestone event with over 150 participants including innovators, leaders, entrepreneurs, and young people discussing the future of EdTech in the Francophone region.

The event, titled “Transforming Education through Innovation: Scaling EdTech Startups for Inclusive and Equitable Learning in Benin and Senegal,” served as a platform for collaboration and marked the conclusion of the first cohort of the inaugural Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in WAEMU.

EtriLabs is the first tech hub in the WAEMU region to implement the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship. In 2024, the tech hub accelerated the first cohort of 12 high potential EdTech companies from Benin and Senegal and will do the same in 2025 and 2026 as part of the partnership with Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning. The goal of the Fellowship is to increase access to relevant, inclusive education.

The 2024 cohort was selected in May 2024 based on each company’s potential to redefine education through a technology lens, with solutions ranging from e-learning to access to books, educational audio content, and platforms for university guidance. The entrepreneurs exhibited their EdTech innovations to participants at the WAEMU EdTech Conference this week and gave key stakeholders firsthand interaction with their solutions.

As the educational landscape in Francophone West Africa evolves, it faces major challenges such as limited access to quality education, inadequate digital infrastructure, and a shortage of qualified educators. In this context, the Fellowship and Conference serve as an essential catalyst for change.

“The WAEMU EdTech Conference marks a key milestone for the EdTech ecosystem in Benin and Senegal, bringing together committed stakeholders around a shared vision – that of accessible and inclusive education driven by technological innovation. This event fosters essential synergies to accelerate the impact of initiatives like the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship and to empower young Africans to build their future in an environment conducive to learning and success.” Senam BEHETON, CEO, EtriLabs.

Highlights of the 2024 WAEMU EdTech conference included:

• A one-day pre-event community of practice seminar dedicated to helping the EdTech startups to scale and increase their impact.
• A stakeholder engagement event on opportunities, successes, and strategies to address the challenges in the EdTech ecosystem.
• A showcase of the Fellows’ innovative technologies to stakeholders, which included EdTech startups, educators, teachers, government representatives, national and international bodies, and investors.

“The WAEMU EdTech Conference reflects our commitment to supporting innovative educational solutions that leverage technology to enhance the quality of learning. We aim to make it a space for exchange and collaboration, bringing together the entire EdTech ecosystem of the sub-region in Senegal, from entrepreneurs to policymakers, academics, educators, women leaders, investors, and support organizations. The goal is clear: to collectively create tools and approaches that address the educational challenges of our region.” Awa SARR, Director, EtriLabs Senegal.

“Education technologies have proved that, when applied strategically, they can open learning pathways for young people. At the Mastercard Foundation, through our Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, we are supporting the develop solutions that make education more inclusive, accessible, and relevant to those who need it most. This includes those who face systemic barriers in their communities and young people who are out of school.” Rodwell Mangisi, Acting Director, Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship and WAEMU EdTech Conference promise to be a springboard for change. Together, they create a conducive environment for the exchange of ideas and the development of sustainable, technology-enabled solutions that increase access to quality, relevant and inclusive education in Francophone West Africa. A call for applications will be shared in January 2025 for the second iteration of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in WAEMU.

For media inquiries, contact:

Gloria-Maria Djossinou
Communication Officer, EtriLabs
gloriamaria@etrilabs.com

Fatou-Binetou Ndiaye
Communication Specialist, EtriLabs
fatou.binetou@etrilabs.com

Joy Doreen Biira
Communications
Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning
JBiira@mastercardfdn.org

About EtriLabs

EtriLabs is a social innovation hub committed to the emergence of a new generation of leaders in Africa. Our vision goes beyond technology and aims to empower our two core targets, youth and women, by providing a framework for developing transformative ideas and creating values on the continent. EtriLabs tackles the continent’s pressing challenges in Education, Health, Entrepreneurship, Gender and Inclusion, with a focus on supporting emerging talents. Our initiatives are designed to foster an environment where innovative solutions can flourish. Based in Benin and Senegal, EtriLabs extends its reach to over 15 African countries, striving to create synergies and encourage innovation across the continent.

For more information on the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship program at EtriLabs, please visit: edtech.etrilabs.com/

About The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is an entrepreneurship acceleration program designed to support promising, African EdTech ventures. Implemented in partnership with innovation hubs and EdTech accelerators across Africa, the Fellowship provides select EdTech companies with critical business and financial support, as well as insight into the science of learning, preparing them for scale, sustainability, and impact. The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship was launched in 2019 by the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning with the goal to partner with 12 Tech Hubs to support over 250 EdTech companies and reach at least 1.8 million young people by 2025.

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.

Learn More about the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning