The Yale Global Justice Program, in collaboration with Academics Stand Against Poverty and various African partners, awards every year a set of essay prizes in honor of Nelson Mandela to young African scholars whose work constructively addresses pressing continental headwinds and challenges toward developing innovative solutions for national, continental, or global governance.
Results of the Second Nelson Mandela Essay Prize Competition in 2026:
Two essays won First Prize and $2000 each: Shapil Blessings Ngutwa (Malawi) and Yusra Patel (Mauritius) for their essay “Closing the Governance Gap: A Grassroots Climate Resilience Pathway for Africa’s Climate Justice”; and Wakjira Tesfaye (Ethiopia) for his essay “The Maputo Fiscal Safeguard and Women’s Economic Rights in African Fiscal Governance.”
Two essays won Second Prize and $1000 each: Dr. Abigail Afful (Ghana) for her essay “When the Oxygen Runs Out: Emergency Medical Systems Failure in Africa and the Case for Global Governance Reform”; and Jeremiah Thoronka (Sierra Leone) for his essay “Maintenance Justice as Climate Justice: Why Africa Should Lead a Global Governance Agenda for Service Continuity.”
Third Prize and $700 were won by Dr. Papa Kwasi Opare (Ghana) for his essay “The Tripartite Transition Compact: Reclaiming State Responsibility for Children with Disabilities in Ghana and Africa.”
Revised in light of readers’ comments, these five essays will appear in a Special Issue of the Journal Academics Stand Against Poverty. Three other outstanding essays have also been invited to join this Special Issue. They are: “Who Owns the Credit? Article 6.4 Legal Framework as Adaptation for African States and Small Island Developing States” by Reeshabh Shayan Tupsee (Mauritius); “The Unfinished Decolonization: African Sovereignty in the Digital Governance of Critical Minerals” by Harrison Eze (Nigeria); and “The New Mineral: Data Colonialism, Artificial Intelligence, and Africa’s Struggle for Digital Self-Determination” by Loveson Anselm-Ahman (Nigeria).
Hundreds of young African scholars have honored Nelson Mandela with their work on how the people of Africa can overcome its headwinds and reach their full potential. Two dozen readers have read their essays and sent comments to all semifinalists. Rohan Goyal has volunteered his time to do most of the data processing involved, including the statistics below. This has been a tremendous learning experience for all involved. We much look forward to celebrating the winners on 22-23 October 2026 in Cape Town.
Results of the Inaugural Nelson Mandela Essay Prize Competition in 2025:
First Prize ($2,500) went to Evaida Chimedza (Copperbelt University) for “The African Paradox: A Land of Wealth, a People in Need.”
Second Prize ($1,250) went to Grace Gondwe (The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation) for “Education in Motion: Exploring the Use of Non-Formal Education as a Pathway to Greater Civic Engagement Among African Youth.”
Third Prizes ($625 each) went to Nater Akpen (Benue State University) for “Resolving the Farmer-Herder Crisis in Nigeria’s Central Zone: the Contribution of Trade and Gender Inclusion” and to Clautrida Mutabaruka (University of Lusaka) for “Indigenous Peacebuilding: Bridging the Gap to Sustainable Peace in Zambia and Beyond.”
Alongside the four winners, seven other finalists received honorable mention, sharing in the opportunity to develop their essays for publication in Journal ASAP: Vernon Mboozi (Technische Universität Dresden) for “Nature-Backed Finance: Unlocking Africa’s Natural Capital for Sustainable Economic Transformation”; Kenneth Okpomo (University of Nigeria) for “Developing Workable Strategies for Stemming the Growing Tide of Forced Migration and Statelessness in Africa”; Ali Khatau, MD (Liverpool John Moores University) for “The Rising Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa: Challenges, Drivers, and Pathways to Solutions”; Newton Okwuoha (University of Pretoria) for “Innovative Governance for a Resilient Africa: A Blueprint for Global Leadership”; Grace Ilota (Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies) for “Assessing the Effects of Charcoal Production on Climate Change: Implications on Climate Financing in Zambia”; Immanuel Mwendwa Kiilu & Guy N’nahano Muhanzi (Strathmore University) for “Africa’s Migration: Redrawing Borders and Building Unity”; and Carly Burmeister (University of Cape Town) for “Strengthening African Healthcare Systems: Lessons from Cervical Cancer for Local Innovation, Digital Solutions, Holistic Healthcare, and Sustainable Investment.”