“Education should not be a separate world; it should be an extension of the community. Using local languages helps rebuild that connection and recenter indigenous knowledge within the learning process,” says Mamadou Amadou Ly, Executive Director of Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED) and our 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate.

Mamadou believes that sustainable development is impossible without a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy, and that “teaching in national languages is the most powerful lever to improve education quality and strengthen human capital”.

Mamadou reflects in an interview with APA News on the significance of the Yidan Prize, the impact of his work across ARED’s partner countries, and his vision for an African education system rooted in local languages and innovation.

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