Grand Rapids, Michigan – African university students are leading the way in the prestigious Wege Prize 2025, an international competition centered on sustainability and the circular economy. Organizers at Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) of Ferris State University announced today that African students make up nearly 80% of the 30 teams advancing to the second phase, out of an original 90-team field. This strong showing reflects a continued shift toward sustainable innovation within African academic institutions, where teams are designing real-world solutions to pressing challenges, from waste management to resource conservation.
The Wege Prize, which awards a $65,000 prize pool to teams developing impactful solutions, challenges interdisciplinary groups of university students worldwide to tackle environmental and economic issues through collaboration and innovation. For 2025, participants from African institutions represent countries including Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. The focus on African representation has grown in recent years, as students increasingly view the competition as a means to address specific challenges in their communities.
Rwanda’s role in advancing the circular economy
Rwanda leads the African presence at this year’s competition, building on the country’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. As host of the 2022 World Circular Economy Forum and developer of a National Circular Economy Action Plan, Rwanda has implemented frameworks that support sustainable development efforts across the country. Colin Webster, a core judge from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, commended the innovation seen in Rwandan submissions, noting that these students demonstrate “a remarkable understanding of local challenges and an ability to devise grounded, practical solutions.” Webster highlighted a biocycle focus, reflecting Rwanda’s broader approach toward integrating sustainability into agricultural and industrial processes.
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Innovative projects by African teams address pressing issues
The African teams advancing in Wege Prize 2025 are working on a range of projects targeting specific issues. Among them, Rwandan students have proposed biodegradable hydrogels made from agricultural waste to help conserve water in farming, addressing a critical issue in many African regions. Other projects are transforming plastic waste into building materials, reducing the environmental impact of construction, and creating locally reprocessed clothing as an alternative to imported second-hand garments. Teams are also tackling health and hygiene issues, with innovations such as eco-friendly mosquito repellents derived from corn waste and citrus peels.
The competition’s history shows a pattern of impactful African-led projects that address both local and global challenges. FruiFresh, a Rwandan team that won first place in 2024, developed charcoal cooling facilities to reduce post-harvest losses of produce, working with a local women’s cooperative in Rubengera. Another Rwandan team, EcoFeed Pioneers, advanced biorefinery techniques to create sustainable food resources. These projects demonstrate how students from African institutions are bringing solutions that resonate locally while setting examples for sustainable practices on a broader scale.
The circular economy’s economic significance in Africa
Africa faces economic challenges such as high poverty rates, debt burdens, and climate risks that could push millions into poverty by 2030. The World Bank has warned that without comprehensive, sustainable development initiatives, the impacts of climate change could severely affect the continent. At the same time, the UN’s 2023 report on economic development in Africa points to Africa’s untapped potential, noting its abundance of critical minerals for green technology and its growing, tech-focused youth population.
The circular economy offers a model for growth that could address these concerns by moving away from the traditional linear model of resource extraction and waste. Gayle DeBruyn, sustainability officer at KCAD, views the Wege Prize as an essential platform for this shift. “These young African leaders are well-positioned to drive sustainable change in their communities. Their work in the competition shows how solutions grounded in local knowledge can address regional issues and build models for economic growth that benefit everyone.”
About Wege Prize and KCAD
Organized by KCAD’s Wege Center for Sustainable Design, Wege Prize fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among students to design economically viable solutions to environmental challenges. Supported by the Wege Foundation, the competition encourages students to innovate across disciplines, bridging cultural and institutional divides to create lasting impact. KCAD, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a leader in sustainability-focused education.
For more information on Wege Prize and the competition’s transformative projects, visit wegeprize.org.
