The Earth Prize has unveiled its 35 top teenage teams for 2026, and African innovators feature prominently among the cohort. Selected from over 6,000 entries worldwide, in Africa, five teams from Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya and Egypt have been named Earth Prize Scholars, earning a place in the world’s largest environmental competition and incubator for young people aged 13 to 19.

Now in its fifth year, the Earth Prize has reached more than 21,000 students across 169 countries and territories, awarding over $500,000 to support youth-led environmental solutions. This year’s Scholars represent seven global regions, with the African contingent offering a range of practical innovations.

The African teams selected as 2026 Earth Prize Scholars are:

• BookBank Africa (Nigeria) – A student-led network that transforms unused school spaces into book hubs, redistributing textbooks via an app to underserved schools.
• PUPE Climate Model (Zambia) – A climate prediction model designed to deliver more precise early warnings for extreme weather events.
• HewaSafi Innovators (Kenya) – A low-cost vehicle exhaust system that captures emissions using filters made from agricultural waste and algae.
• Terraskipper (Egypt) – A robot inspired by the mudskipper fish that crawls across muddy degraded land to monitor soil conditions and plant seeds.
• PantiPads (Nigeria) – Affordable biodegradable sanitary pads made from agricultural waste, replacing plastic alternatives.

The innovations span multiple environmental challenges, including air pollution, waste management, climate adaptation, and educational access.

The next stage of the competition will see seven Regional Winners announced from 11 to 17 May, each receiving $12,500 to accelerate their solutions. A public vote will follow, with the global winner announced on 29 May.

According to Peter McGarry, Founder of The Earth Foundation, the 2026 cohort demonstrates that age is no barrier to tackling complex environmental challenges.

The Earth Prize, run by the Geneva-based non-profit The Earth Foundation, was founded during the School Strike for Climate in 2019. Previous winners have gone on to secure patents and corporate partnerships, with coverage in outlets including Forbes and Business Insider.

Click here to read related post