Dumena Backs Izesan, Advocates Transparency in Tech Fellowship

In a growing wave of calls for accountability in Africa’s innovation ecosystem, Nigerian edtech company Dumena has publicly backed Izesan Limited, the first startup to raise concerns over the selection process of the CcHub-Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship.

In a strongly worded open letter titled “Championing Transparency and Grassroots Impact in African Innovation”, Dumena echoed Izesan’s concerns, emphasizing that the current fellowship framework appears to favor startups with foreign affiliations and polished branding over those demonstrating tangible, community-rooted impact.

“The report uncovers a critical issue: only four of twelve startups in the current cohort demonstrate active community engagement and are locally based,” Dumena wrote, citing findings from a confidential fact-finding report compiled by Izesan Limited.

Although the report has not been made public, Dumena referred to its conclusions to argue that most selected startups are either operated from abroad or lack strategies aimed at serving local communities. This raises troubling questions about whether the program is truly enabling African-led innovation or merely spotlighting globally connected ventures with limited grassroots presence.

“Our experience at Dumena mirrors this challenge. Despite our commitment to advancing education and innovation in Nigeria, we have encountered opaque selection processes and an absence of constructive feedback from institutions like CcHub,” the company stated.

In response, Dumena called for a three-pronged solution: Transparent selection criteria that prioritize measurable community engagement; Constructive feedback for all applicants; and An end to what it describes as “silent gatekeeping” in the tech ecosystem.

“Together, we can build an ecosystem where grassroots impact is celebrated and every innovator has a fair opportunity to thrive,” the letter concluded.