Kenyan entrepreneur Odwour Midigo wins prestigious 2026 Äänit Prize, bags Sh12.4 mn

Odwour Midigo, a young African entrepreneur from Kenya, has been named the winner of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation’s 2026 Äänit Prize.

He receives US$96 000 (Sh12.43 million) to expand the youth-led Ndaloh Heritage Organisation’s community-driven approach to regenerative agriculture and food security, reaching more farmers and communities.

Midigo’s venture is tackling malnutrition in western Kenya through school nutrition programmes, fortified food, and maternal and child health initiatives, addressing hunger and improving nutritional outcomes during the critical first 1 000 days of a child’s life.

Ndaloh Heritage Organisation also empowers smallholder farmers – particularly women and young people – through training, digital advisory services and creating access to markets.

Its regenerative and climate-smart farming practices aim to increase productivity and household incomes while restoring soil health.

Says Midigo, “Winning the Äänit Prize is both inspiring and humbling. I know how competitive the Prize has become, which makes this recognition especially meaningful. This award is not only a celebration of what we have achieved so far but also an opportunity to deepen our impact.”

Now in its sixth year, the annual Äänit Prize is open to all Mandela Rhodes and Rhodes Scholars.

With up to US$100 000 (Sh12.964 million) in funding available, it celebrates entrepreneurial African leaders who are translating local insights into innovative, practical solutions, with the potential to deliver lasting impact beyond borders.

Eligible ventures must align with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Africa, demonstrating a clear commitment to addressing the continent’s most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges.

This year’s four finalists - David Chapoloko, Nyasha Mashanda, Odwour Midigo and Emmanuel Valentine - all Mandela Rhodes alumni - exemplify the innovation and leadership the Prize seeks to celebrate.

Three are addressing one of Africa’s most pressing challenges: building resilient food system through regenerative agriculture and climate-smart farming in Kenya, unlocking underutilised farmland in Nigeria and helping Zambian farmers improve productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and connect to markets.

The fourth finalist is expanding access to education through AI-powered personalized learning, reaching students who might otherwise be excluded by distance or poor connectivity.

While these ventures differ, each is similar in that they are looking to create practical, scalable solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities.

That commitment to turning local insight into lasting impact lies at the core of the Äänit Prize.

"Äänit means ‘common work’ or ‘joint effort’ in Koalib, a minority language spoken in Sudan," explains Judy Sikuza, CEO of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

Sikuza adds, “It captures something fundamental about how we see Africa’s future. The challenges we face on the continent require collectively-made solutions by Africans, for Africans. These young leaders are not waiting for someone else to solve Africa’s problems.”

“They are using their skills, personal experience and understanding of their communities to build solutions themselves. What is particularly exciting is the potential for these ideas to be adapted, shared and scaled in other parts of the continent.”

Sikuza believes that Africa’s future is and has always been, a shared endeavour. And this year’s Äänit finalists provide a practical expression of that belief.

”These ventures remind us that innovation begins by questioning how a farmer can improve a harvest, a community can strengthen food security or how we can ensure a child is not denied education because they do not have reliable internet access," the CEO notes.

While highlighting that leadership is about seeing a need and having the courage to act., Judy says that the ”Äänit Prize gives us an opportunity to support that action and, importantly, to ask what becomes possible when a good idea is given the resources, networks and support to grow.”

The four finalists were selected following a rigorous shortlisting process, interviews and presentations.

An independent panel of judges assessed the ventures against criteria including innovation, leadership, social impact, sustainability, scalability and potential for replication.

For Midigo, the Prize represents more than recognition. The funding will provide an opportunity to strengthen the Ndaloh Heritage Organisation to reach more beneficiaries, develop new partnerships and explore how its community-driven model can be adapted, shared and scaled.

The three other finalists each receive US$1 000 (Sh129,000), with Emmanual Valentine receiving a further US$1 000 after being named the winner of the ‘Audience Choice’ award.

With more than 25 million Nigerians facing food shortages, FARM4US is working to increase agricultural productivity and strengthen food security in rural communities.

Through demonstration farms, agricultural support, modern farming practices and improved access to markets, Valentine’s venture is helping unlock the potential of underutilised farmland while creating economic opportunities.

To date, FARM4US has reached 800 farmers, employed 100 young people and regenerated 2 400 hectares of farmland, with an ambition to reach 100 000 farmers over the next decade.

AgreeNect Technologies works with smallholder farmers, providing reliable information to help them increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and access more profitable markets.

Its digital services reach farmers via SMS and USSD in seven local languages, helping to overcome literacy and digital-access barriers and providing information designed to support more resilient livelihoods.

VhenekAI is an offline AI learning platform designed to bridge the gap cause by lack of teachers, educational resources and internet access.

Its two-year pilot has reached 1 000 students across 10 schools, with personalised educational support delivered to phones and laptops, even when learners have no SIM card, Wi-fi or reliable signal.

The platform is adapted to each learner’s curriculum and verified by teachers.

Named after the Shona word meaning “to light up”, VhenekAI reflects the possibility of using technology to open doors for learners who might otherwise be left behind.

“When young Africans from different countries come together, they discover how much they have in common and how much they can learn from their differences,’ says Sikuza.

“The Africa we inherit matters. But the Africa we build together matters even more.”