AU InnoLab · African Union INNOFEST '26

Vibrant Youth Ecosystems for AI & Digital Sovereignty

African Union INNOFEST '26 is the Innovation Lab's flagship gathering — two days at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, with three rooms running in parallel and the Spark Zone open throughout.

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29–30 September 2026: 08:00 GMT+3 – 17:00 GMT+3
African Union Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Hybrid: Attendance by accreditation

African Union Headquarters, Roosevelt Street, Old Airport Area, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

About

The Innovation Lab's flagship gathering.

Two days at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, with three rooms running in parallel and the Spark Zone open throughout.

African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa

This edition is about a vibrant youth ecosystem for AI and digital sovereignty: who builds the models, where the data sits, and whether the continent is a market for someone else's infrastructure or the owner of its own. The open programme runs masterclasses, interactive workshops, panels and showcases — responsible AI for Africa, green skills and the future of jobs, women-led mobility, community mesh networks for underserved regions, and the FAYDA national ID. Alongside it, by invitation, the inaugural African Community of Practice on Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls meets across all four sessions to launch a continental platform for evidence and coordinated action. It is free to attend and open to anyone building. Delegations from member states, partner institutions and the press register through the same door as everybody else.

01
Two days, three rooms at once
02
A closed track on TF-VAWG
03
In English and French, in the room or online

Event details

Open to anyone building.

Free and open to anyone building.

Broadcast

Streams live on YouTube from Tuesday 29 September at 08:00. No registration needed to watch.

Registration is required for a pass, which is scanned at the gate. Sessions marked Invitation Only are closed working sessions and are not open to general registration.

Get accredited

Attendance: Attendance by accreditation

Programme

The open programme runs masterclasses, interactive workshops, panels and showcases.

Tuesday

29 September

08:00–09:30

Arrival, registration and breakfast

Format: Registration

Room: Spark Zone

Accreditation opens. The Spark Zone opens with it and stays open all day.

09:30–10:30

Official opening of InnoFest '26

Format: Plenary

Room: Multipurpose Hall

Welcome remarks from the Director of Women, Gender and Youth, followed by opening remarks from the Chairperson of the Commission.

Ms. Prudence NgwenyaDirector, Women, Gender and YouthAfrican Union Commission
H.E. Mahmoud Ali YoussoufChairpersonAfrican Union Commission

10:30–12:00

High-level intergenerational panel

Format: Plenary

Room: Multipurpose Hall

Keynote from the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, then a panel across generations. Also invited: the Minister of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia (TBC) and the Minister of Youth of Algeria (TBC).

Ms. Prudence NgwenyaDirector, Women, Gender and YouthAfrican Union Commission
H.E. Ms. Lerato Dorothy MatabogeCommissioner, Infrastructure and EnergyAfrican Union Commission
Ms. Pelonomi MoiloaChief Executive and Co-Founder (TBC)Lelapa AI, South Africa
Mr. Alain GoumouFounder and Chief Technology OfficerTinaan Tech, Guinea
Ms. Kate KallotFounder and Chief Executive (TBC)Amini, Kenya

12:00–14:00

Lunch and Spark Zone

Format: Break

Room: Spark Zone

The Spark Zone stays open through lunch.

14:00–15:30

V-MATH and Veri-Math

Format: Masterclass

Room: Small Conference Hall Two

Step-level verification for enhancing mathematical reasoning in large language models. A masterclass.

Mr. John Paul RugabaAI LeadVictoria University Kampala

14:00–15:30

Building responsible AI solutions for Africa

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Multipurpose Hall

From research to real-world impact. An interactive workshop.

Mr. Samson O. AjaoSystem Analyst; Co-Founder and Chief Operating OfficerBowen University, Nigeria · Datum Africa

14:00–15:30

Inaugural African Community of Practice on Combating Tech-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls — session one

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Small Conference Hall One

Convened under SIARP 2.0 by the AU Innovation Lab with UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA. A working session rather than a panel: validating the inaugural State of TF-VAWG in Africa brief and co-creating the Community of Practice roadmap to 2029. Approximately 50 invited participants.

15:30–15:45

Coffee break and Spark Zone

15:45–17:15

Skilling and reskilling African youth in cottage technologies

Format: Panel Discussion

Room: Multipurpose Hall

For educational and sustainable development. A panel discussion.

Dr. Wunmi HassanChief ExecutiveHigh Tech Centre

15:45–17:15

Showcase: AU–EU Youth Lab

Format: Showcase

Room: Small Conference Hall Two

The AU–EU Youth Lab presents its work.

15:45–17:15

Inaugural African Community of Practice on Combating Tech-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls — session two

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Small Conference Hall One

Wednesday

30 September

08:00–09:00

Arrival and Spark Zone

09:00–10:30

Inaugural African Community of Practice on Combating Tech-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls — session three

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Small Conference Hall One

09:00–10:30

From mobility to opportunity

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Multipurpose Hall

Building AI-powered, women-led mobility ecosystems in Africa. An interactive workshop.

Ms. Nouran FaroukCo-founder and Chief ExecutiveDosy

09:00–10:30

Building Africa's AI-ready workforce

Format: Masterclass

Room: Small Conference Hall Two

Equipping young people to work, create and lead with AI. A masterclass.

Ms. Egline JeptooDigital Skills Trainer; Co-founderBrand Moran

10:30–11:00

Coffee break and Spark Zone

11:00–12:30

Inaugural African Community of Practice on Combating Tech-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls — session four

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Small Conference Hall One

11:00–12:30

Déployer des réseaux Mesh communautaires

Format: Interactive Workshop

Room: Small Conference Hall Two

Pour connecter les zones rurales, enclavées et mal desservies en Afrique : une infrastructure numérique résiliente au service de l'inclusion, de l'innovation et de la transformation locale. Atelier interactif en français.

Mr. Jacques SyakoleraChief ITIntelligence de la Technologie Industrielle (ITI)

11:00–12:30

Unpacking green skills and the future of jobs

Format: Masterclass

Room: Multipurpose Hall

A masterclass on where the work is going and what it will ask for.

Dr. Enoch Opare MintahChief ExecutiveSustainability Skills and Careers Launchpad Africa

12:30–14:00

Lunch and Spark Zone

14:00–15:30

Showcase: FAYDA national ID

Format: Showcase

Room: Small Conference Hall Two

Ethiopia's national digital identity programme presents its work.

14:00–15:30

From ideas to impact

Format: Panel Discussion

Room: Small Conference Hall One

Unlocking Africa's youth innovation potential. A panel discussion.

Mr. Kibagendi Cliff NyakundiRegional Manager, Sub-Saharan AfricaHult Prize Foundation

14:00–15:30

Pitch session: Spotlight Initiative

Format: Pitch Session

Room: Multipurpose Hall

Teams pitch to the floor.

15:30–16:00

Coffee break and Spark Zone

16:00–17:00

Closing ceremony

Format: Plenary

Room: Multipurpose Hall

The festival closes.

Ms. Prudence NgwenyaDirector, Women, Gender and YouthAfrican Union Commission

Documents

Read the official announcement

Featured speakers

Featured Speakers

Meet the voices shaping conversations on AI, digital sovereignty and Africa's youth ecosystems. Open any speaker to read more.

PN
01Ms. Prudence NgwenyaDirector, Women, Gender and YouthAfrican Union CommissionRead moreClose
Opens the festival and moderates the high-level intergenerational panel.
MA
02H.E. Mahmoud Ali YoussoufChairpersonAfrican Union CommissionRead moreClose
Delivers the opening remarks of InnoFest '26.
LD
03H.E. Ms. Lerato Dorothy MatabogeCommissioner, Infrastructure and EnergyAfrican Union CommissionRead moreClose
Keynote to the high-level intergenerational panel.

Speakers

More speakers from the open programme

04
Ms. Pelonomi MoiloaChief Executive and Co-Founder (TBC)Lelapa AI, South Africa
Participation to be confirmed.
05
Mr. Alain GoumouFounder and Chief Technology OfficerTinaan Tech, Guinea
Panellist on the high-level intergenerational panel.
06
Ms. Kate KallotFounder and Chief Executive (TBC)Amini, Kenya
Participation to be confirmed.
07
Mr. Samson O. AjaoSystem Analyst; Co-Founder and Chief Operating OfficerBowen University, Nigeria · Datum Africa
Leads the workshop on building responsible AI solutions for Africa, from research to real-world impact.
08
Mr. John Paul RugabaAI LeadVictoria University Kampala
Masterclass on step-level verification for mathematical reasoning in large language models.
09
Dr. Wunmi HassanChief ExecutiveHigh Tech Centre
Panel on skilling and reskilling African youth in cottage technologies.
10
Ms. Nouran FaroukCo-founder and Chief ExecutiveDosy
Workshop on building AI-powered, women-led mobility ecosystems in Africa.
11
Ms. Egline JeptooDigital Skills Trainer; Co-founderBrand Moran
Masterclass on equipping young people to work, create and lead with AI.
12
Dr. Enoch Opare MintahChief ExecutiveSustainability Skills and Careers Launchpad Africa
Masterclass unpacking green skills and the future of jobs.
13
Mr. Jacques SyakoleraChief ITIntelligence de la Technologie Industrielle (ITI)
Atelier en français sur les réseaux mesh communautaires pour les zones rurales et mal desservies.
14
Mr. Kibagendi Cliff NyakundiRegional Manager, Sub-Saharan AfricaHult Prize Foundation
Panel on unlocking Africa's youth innovation potential.

Venue information

African Union Headquarters

Roosevelt Street, Old Airport Area, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Registration

Free. Bring the QR on a phone or printed — both scan at the gate. Sessions marked Invitation Only are closed.

Visa and travel requirement

Most nationalities need a visa for Ethiopia. Apply through the e-visa portal early, and request a letter of invitation once you are registered. A pass is not a visa.

AUC security

A secured compound. Bring the photo ID you registered with — it is checked against your pass at the perimeter. Gates open an hour before the first session.

Get accredited

INNOFEST in pictures