Technology company Yango Group has expanded its Yango Fellowship digital skills programme to four additional African countries, as it steps up efforts to help close a widening talent gap in science and technology across the continent.
The initiative will now run in Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Senegal, following an initial rollout in Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire, the company said.
The fellowship targets students aged 18 to 25 enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, with an emphasis on applying classroom learning to real-world challenges. Participants are supported to design projects with local impact, while receiving specialised workshops and mentoring from technology professionals.
“Africa has an extraordinary pool of talent, who bring creativity and problem-solving energy,” said Adeniyi Adebayo, Yango Group’s chief commercial officer.
“The Yango Fellowship is a hands-on programme designed to support these talents by providing young innovators with the mentorship, resources and knowledge they need to develop solutions that benefit their communities,” he added.
Yango said the programme aims to go beyond academic theory, focusing instead on practical skills such as software development, data analysis and digital product design. Fellows are encouraged to work on solutions tailored to local needs, from improving access to services to boosting productivity in small businesses.
From 2026, the company plans to structure a continent-wide network of fellows to promote cross-border collaboration and the circulation of skills beyond national boundaries, a move it says will help foster a more integrated African digital ecosystem.
The expansion comes against the backdrop of a persistent shortage of technical skills across sub-Saharan Africa. According to estimates by the World Bank cited by Ghana’s Ministry of Communications and Digitalization, the region faces a shortfall of more than 2.5 million STEM professionals.
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At the same time, only 10 to 15 percent of young Africans have access to quality technical or digital training, while fewer than five percent gain hands-on experience in areas such as programming, data analytics or cybersecurity, the figures show.
Yango said the fellowship seeks to address these gaps by combining financial support, mentorship and access to a pan-African network of digital professionals and experts. The programme is designed to complement public efforts to expand digital education and employability, particularly among young people entering fast-changing labour markets.
Governments across Africa have increasingly identified digital skills as critical to economic transformation, as countries seek to harness technology to diversify growth, create jobs and improve service delivery. But limited resources, outdated curricula and weak links between education and industry have often slowed progress.
By partnering with universities and local institutions, Yango said it aims to help bridge the gap between academic training and industry needs. Participants are selected based on both technical ability and their potential to generate solutions with measurable social or economic impact.
The company did not disclose the number of fellows expected to participate in the next phase, but said demand for the programme has been strong in countries where it has already been piloted.
As competition for digital talent intensifies globally, initiatives such as the Yango Fellowship are likely to play a growing role in shaping Africa’s future workforce and in determining whether the continent can fully capitalise on its youthful population and expanding digital economy.
