Mastercard Foundation to host inaugural edtech conference in Abuja, Nigeria

The Mastercard Foundation, through its Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, is hosting its inaugural edtech conference from July 8–10, 2024. This year, it is being hosted in partnership with the federal government of Nigeria and will be held at the Hilton Transcorp, in Abuja, Nigeria.

In line with the African Union’s Year of Education, the 2024 Mastercard Foundation edtech conference is themed, “Education technology for resilient and inclusive learning in Africa”.

Conversations will centre on the current state of the edtech ecosystem, emerging trends, the role of edtech in solving Africa’s educational challenges and policies that are needed to foster an enabling environment for technology-enabled innovation in education.

Technology is a powerful enabler of possibility and progress,” said Reeta Roy, president and CEO at the Mastercard Foundation. “Across Africa, young innovators and entrepreneurs are bringing new energy and ideas to the education sector. Some are innovations that could shift ecosystems and the future for many. This inaugural conference brings together young people, edtech innovators, policymakers, investors, philanthropists, data scientists and others to accelerate progress toward digitally-enabled educational platforms and systems that deliver inclusive learning for all.”

Edtech ecosystem stakeholders from across the continent working at the nexus of education and ICT are expected to share expertise on practical solutions that can increase access to quality, relevant and inclusive education in Africa.

“Africa could change the course of education delivery by investing in home-grown innovative solutions that bridge access and learning gaps. This conference is an opportunity to reflect on what is working and align on the actions needed to take African edtech to the next level of impact,” added Joseph Nsengimana, director for the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.

The inaugural Mastercard Foundation Edtech Conference will underscore the role of technology in catalysing transformation within Africa’s education ecosystem.

The Mastercard Foundation was established in 2006 by Mastercard and works with visionary organisations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. In June last year, the foundation backed social innovation centre CcHUB to select 12 Nigerian startups for its inaugural Mastercard edtech fellowship programme.

The edtech conference will be a biennial convening.