eHealth Africa, a non-profit organisation with a programmatic presence in 21 countries, building stronger health systems in Africa through data-driven solutions joined forces with BellaNaija, Africa’s leading tech-driven media platform, at the recently held Africa Soft Power Summit in Nairobi Kenya for a side event tagged “Edutainment: A Creative Solution for Social Impact in Africa?“.
The core premise of the event was that traditional engagement models are insufficient for a generation native to digital platforms. The future of social impact, particularly for a continent where half the world’s youth will reside by 2030, lies in leveraging disruptive technologies and engaging formats like AR/VR, quick videos, gamification, and immersive experiences to deliver education and promote positive social change.
The event co-hosted by Ota Akhigbe, Director of Partnerships and Programs at eHealth Africa and Mary Edoro, Chief of Staff/Head of Strategy at BellaNaija featured a deep dive into the power of edutainment as a creative solution for social impact among Africa’s youth starting with key insightson youth engagement and health outcomes from Dr. Christabel Gero of the Population Council’s Girls Centre.
The consensus was clear: for a generation consuming content via 15-second TikToks and Instagram Reels, digital innovation is paramount. The captivating demonstrations from leading innovators in Kenya underscored the same. Jay Shapiro of Usiku Games demonstrated a “fun-first” approach where behavioural matches are intrinsically built into the game development, offering a scalable way to influence choices.
Brian Afande, founder of BlackRhino VR, emphasised that empowering young Africans to create AR experiences without needing to code dramatically lowers the barrier to entry for content development and fosters a new wave of digital innovators. Bridget Deacon of Shujaaz also highlighted their national-scale content distribution across multiple media platforms to push social messages through grassroots digital penetration.
While celebrating digital innovation, the event also acknowledged critical challenges like the “gender digital divide” and limited access to devices, signalling a need for inclusive design and strategic investment to ensure broad reach.
According to Ota Akhigbe,
“The future of social impact in Africa is inextricably linked to our ability to innovate and adopt technologies that meet young people where they are. Edutainment is not just a creative concept; it’s a testament to how tech can be leveraged for scalable social good, fostering a generation of informed and engaged citizens.”
The event served as a critical platform for innovators, investors, and development practitioners to connect and explore the next frontier of impact through technology-driven edutainment solutions across Africa.
All Credits:@ehealthafrica_community | www.ehealthafrica.org@bellanaija | www.bellanaija.comMore coverage from the event here
BellaNaija is a media partner for Africa Soft Power
