An African edutech programme and a Portuguese recycling initiative bagged the Global Government Excellence Awards at the World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai on Tuesday.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, honoured the winners of the Government Excellence Awards in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and other honourary delegates on the inaugural day of WGS 2025.
Ubongo Digital Education Programme won the award for the Best Technological Innovation for Social Inclusion.
An initiative by Ubongo, Africa’s leading children’s edutainment company, it is aimed at enhancing learning through digital platforms. It provides interactive, localised, and engaging educational content via mobile apps, online platforms, and digital broadcasts. The programme leverages Ubongo’s popular animated series like Ubongo Kids and Akili and Me to teach subjects such as math, science, and life skills in multiple African languages. By using digital tools, it expands access to quality education, particularly for underserved communities, supporting literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional development in a fun and accessible way.
Sustainability and Community Engagement
The award for the Best Innovative Environmental Sustainability and Community Engagement went to the Municipality of Cascais, a coastal town in Portugal for its innovative recycling initiative.
Cascais has implemented an innovative Residential Food Waste Collection Pilot Project. In this initiative, residents receive kitchen pails and green bags to collect daily food waste. These sealed green bags are then placed in standard waste bins. The collected waste is transported to facilities of Tratolixo, Portuguese waste management company responsible for the treatment and disposal of urban waste. The green bags are then separated and processed into compost and energy, thereby diverting organic waste from landfills and reducing environmental impact.