The Mastercard Foundation has launched the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a landmark initiative backed by a US$500 million commitment over its first decade to recognise and reward African universities driving transformational change and expanding opportunities for young people across the continent.
The inaugural edition of the AHEFT Prize named five universities as the first laureates, with each institution receiving US$3 million USD 3 million to scale transformative work, through initiatives agreed with each institution to advance education opportunities for young people in Africa.
The 2026 winners are Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia); the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering, (Burkina Faso); Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (Ghana); Muni University (Uganda); and the University of Rwanda, (Rwanda).
Speaking on the launch, Mastercard Foundation President and CEO, Sewit Ahderom, said the initiative builds on two decades of supporting African higher education and aims to position universities as engines of opportunity for millions of young people.
“For twenty years we have seen African institutions rethink what higher education can deliver. The AHEFT Prize turns that proof into momentum: we are backing homegrown excellence with a decade-long commitment, so that universities across the continent become engines of opportunity for millions of young people,” he said.
The Foundation said the AHEFT prize is the first of its kind in Africa and is designed to recognise institutions delivering transformational impact across thematic categories including Teaching and Learning, Transitions to Employment, Research and Innovation, and Entrepreneurship or within priority sectors such as Climate and Environment, Agriculture and Agri-food Systems, Health, and STEM/Digital/Artificial Intelligence. Over the next decade, the Prize will recognize and award at least 150 institutions in Africa.
“This is the moment to reimagine what higher education institutions can do as engines of human capital development – not only as a place of learning, but as a direct route to work, to economic participation, and to a better future for young people across Africa’’– Dr. John Nkengasong, Executive Director, Higher Education Initiatives, Mastercard Foundation.
The winning institutions will be awarded at the Higher Education Transformation Convening to be held in Accra, Ghana, on September 22, 2026.
The 2026 AHEFT Prize Laureates
- Addis Ababa University (AAU), Ethiopia
Category: Excellence in Research and Innovation
Recognized for its ability to align research with national priorities, strengthen workforce development, and connect scientific knowledge directly to economic opportunity, public services, and community wellbeing. AAU’s integration with Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, which serves approximately 884,000 patients annually, enables large-scale clinical training, research, and service delivery. - International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Burkina Faso
Category: Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Recognized for innovation in practice-based engineering and technical education and demonstrating how hands-on, problem-driven learning can produce highly employable graduates. Established by 16 African countries operating in the Sahel region, 2iE has trained more than 13,000 graduates with 70 percent securing employment within 12 months of graduation and more than 95 percent remaining and working in Africa in sectors including water, climate, energy, and infrastructure. - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
Category: Excellence in Research and Innovation
Recognized for building one of Africa’s leading research-to-innovation ecosystems. Through platforms such as the Kumasi Business Incubator, Innovation Centre, and Technology Consultancy Centre, KNUST translates research into startups, industry solutions, and public impact, demonstrating how science, technology, and entrepreneurship can drive economic transformation and job creation. - Muni University (MU), Uganda
Category: Excellence in Transitions to Employment
Recognized for creating effective pathways from education to employment for refugees and underserved youth. Through its Refugee and Host Community Youth Empowerment and Transformation Initiative (RETI), the university has enabled up to 70 percent of participants to secure employment within three months of completing the program. - University of Rwanda (UR), Rwanda
Category: Excellence in Health
Recognized for its pivotal role in strengthening Rwanda’s health system and health workforce by training more than 26,000 health professionals. Its community-based training model reaches nearly 500,000 people through clinical placements, outreach programs, and university health services. Today, the University of Rwanda has evolved into a regional leader in digital health, vaccinology, biomedical engineering, and health systems innovation.
