ECM SUMMIT PANEL DISCUSSION.

Strategic Partnerships for Future-Ready Education Ecosystems At the Education Changemakers Summit 2026, one of the most powerful conversations unfolded during the multi-stakeholder panel discussion moderated by Christine Murage, Founder of Ngazi EdNet and RLC EA alumna. The panel brought together voices from across the ecosystem — Trevor Noah Foundation, Kenyatta University/HERI Africa, Teach for Kenya, Mizizi Elimu Afrika, Impacting Youth Trust, and Soma Siri Afrika — to explore how partnerships, innovation, research, and financing can strengthen Africa’s education systems. Key insights included: Collaboration over isolation: Africa’s education challenges are too complex for single organisations; collective action is essential. Play as a mindset: Brian Bosire emphasized play as joyful, purposeful, and iterative — a systems-level approach to learning. Rethinking STEM: Wabi Ng’ang’a highlighted STEM as problem-solving and creativity, not just recall of information. Community realities: Nyokabi Njuguna stressed connecting education to practical competencies beyond examinations. Research relevance: Prof. Jackline Nyerere called for research defined by and with Africans, ensuring evidence is actionable. Storytelling as a bridge: Olona Tywabi reminded us that effective communication must position communities as co-creators. The session reinforced a central truth: lasting transformation requires trusted partnerships, locally grounded innovation, and collective, systemic change.