Dakar, December 6, 2025 - Senegal is in the spotlight on the international scene.
Mamadou Amadou Ly, Executive Director of ARED (Associates in Research and Education for Development), received the Yidan Prize for Education Development 2025 in Hong Kong, considered the highest distinction in the field of education.
The award recognizes three decades of work from Senegal to improve basic learning through bilingual education in national languages.
Alongside the late Dr Sonja Fagerberg-DialloMamadou Amadou Ly, founder of ARED, has helped build an African educational model that is now recognized worldwide.
A model born in Senegal, now cited as an example around the world.
The Ndaw Wune accelerated remediation program, implemented by ARED in Senegal, shows exceptional results in just five months of learning:
+74 % in letter recognition
+134 % in word reading
These performances demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching in national languages in reinforcing basic skills, particularly among the most vulnerable children.
An award that opens up new perspectives.
The Yidan Prize will enable ARED to :
- Extend its bilingual education programs to millions of children in the Sahel ;
- Develop more teaching resources in national languages ;
- Integrating artificial intelligence into African languages to improve access to learning ;
- Strengthen teacher training in Senegal and the region.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Mamadou Amadou Ly said:
"This is Senegal's prize. It enshrines the value of our languages, our culture and our collective commitment to fairer and more effective education."
A tribute to Senegal and its partners
ARED would like to thank the Ministry of National Education, under the leadership of Mr. Moustapha Mamba Guirassy, and former Minister Mr. Serigne Mbaye Thiam, for their unfailing support.
Natty S. Kokolo