The 10th edition of the Africa Tech Challenge (ATC) celebrated its 10th anniversary on 1 September 2025 and awarded full scholarships to six outstanding African students. The event took place at the Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi.
Among the winners was Victor Njung’e, a 23-year-old mechanical engineering student from the Technical University of Kenya.
“I’m a bit lost for words because I wasn’t expecting this win. The tech challenge, both theory and practice, was quite grueling, but through determination and teamwork, we made it,” he said.
Another winner, Ghanaian student Nuseno Alfred, reflected said that the “training has been wonderful from day one. It was all about precision, broadening my horizons, and giving me experience for the job market.”
The winners emerged from a fierce competition that brought together 568 participants forming 142 teams from 12 African countries, namely Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
What 10 Years of ATC Has Achieved
The Africa Tech Challenge was launched in 2014 by AVIC Innovation Holding (AVIC INNO) as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts. Its mission has been a combination of of intensive training, rigorous competition, and the opportunity to study in China.
According to the ATC 10th Anniversary Corporate Social Responsibility Report, the initiative has achieved the following across its lifespan:
- Benefited 1,933 participants from 14 African countries
- Awarded 249 trainees with monetary prizes
- Granted 30 full scholarships to study in China
- Created 25 internships or job opportunities within AVIC INNO
AVIC INNO’s Executive Vice President Li Qingtang highlighted the corporation’s sustained development commitment, noting that the organization had built or upgraded 189 vocational institutions across Africa, benefiting more than 20,000 teachers and students annually.
Kenyan education officials have noted that over 1,300 African youth have directly gained from ATC’s hands-on vocational training in areas like CNC turning, mechanical engineering CAD, PLC (programmable logic controller) technology, and design thinking.
During the closing ceremony, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba emphasized ATC’s alignment with continental goals:
“Through ATC, we are ensuring that Africa’s youth become a force for driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, pushing boundaries and pursuing excellence,” he said, linking the initiative to the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
In marking a decade of impact, the Africa Tech Challenge underscores its evolution from a competition into a transformative force—nurturing talent, enabling scholarships, and fostering sustainable industrial development across Africa.
