Mastercard Foundation Launches Shs1.8 Trillion Prize to Transform African Universities

What the report says

Nile Post reports that the Mastercard Foundation has launched the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a 10-year, $500 million initiative valued at about Shs1.8 trillion. The annual prize is intended to support African universities that are changing how higher education delivers quality learning, research, innovation and employment pathways for young people.

According to the report, five institutions have been selected as the inaugural 2026 winners: Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering in Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, Muni University in Uganda, and the University of Rwanda. Each is set to receive $3 million, about Shs10.8 billion, to expand programmes linked to education access, research, innovation and youth employment.

Nile Post says Muni University was recognised in the transitions-to-employment category for work supporting graduates, refugees and vulnerable youth through its Refugee and Host Community Youth Empowerment and Transformation Initiative. The report also says Addis Ababa University was cited for research and innovation, 2iE for teaching and learning, KNUST for turning research into enterprise, and the University of Rwanda for health training and community-based healthcare support.

The foundation plans to recognise at least 150 higher education institutions across Africa over the next decade. The reported aim is to encourage universities to play a larger role in economic transformation, skills development, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. The first winners are expected to receive their awards at a Higher Education Transformation Convening scheduled for September 22, 2026, in Accra, Ghana.