A new initiative unveiled at the first G20 Social Summit held in Africa promises to reshape early childhood education across the continent. The XPRIZE Accelerate Learning Prize, developed in partnership with Kenya’s Equity Group Foundation (EGF), aims to reward practical, scalable innovations that help children achieve literacy and numeracy within a single year.
Valued at $10 million, the competition is designed to deliver the most learning outcomes for the greatest number of students at the lowest cost. The long-term ambition is to reach 100 million children over the next decade, targeting one of Africa’s most pressing challenges: today, more than 85 percent of ten-year-olds in sub-Saharan Africa cannot read or understand simple text.
Dr. James Mwangi, Executive Chairman of Equity Group Foundation and CEO of Equity Group Holdings, said the partnership marks a decisive shift for Africa’s future workforce. He emphasized that the continent’s demographic promise will only translate into a dividend if children are prepared for a future driven by science, technology, entrepreneurship, and governance.
The prize is part of a wider effort to equip African youth with 21st-century skills. Equity’s learning pathways already link early literacy and numeracy to coding, STEM, data science, and innovation programs through partnerships with WorldQuant University, IamtheCODE, and UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative. Professor Isaac Macharia, Group Board Chairman of Equity Group Holdings, highlighted that strong foundations in early learning are key to positioning Africa as a global talent hub.
By combining the competition with EGF’s educational and enterprise programs, the initiative creates a pathway that transforms early learning into productive capacity and long-term competitiveness. For African children, families, and communities, the Accelerate Learning Prize represents hope for a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive in the global economy.