Benin Young Tech Leaders: over 200 young people trained in artificial intelligence in 2025

Training people in artificial intelligence where access to technology remains limited seemed like an ambitious bet. In Tankpè, it became a reality. Between September and December 2025, Benin Young Tech Leaders turned a classroom into a genuine laboratory of ideas, combining an introduction to AI, the basics of programming and personal development.

Behind this initiative are three young Beninese who returned from the Pan African Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP), a U.S. State Department exchange program. Their stay in Washington, D.C. and Kansas City in July 2025 proved decisive. There, they discovered active teaching methods and a vision of leadership suited to today’s technological changes.

Struck in particular by a meeting with the CEO of WeCode KC, who stressed the urgency of training leaders able to anticipate technological upheavals, the project’s founders decided to bring this approach to Benin. “Our experience was the catalyst. We wanted to bring this whole model back home,” they explain.

Young people at the helm, a mentor as compass

The project was coordinated on the ground by Kouessi Marcel Hountokindé, 16, a brilliant student and bronze medalist at the 2025 Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad. A PAYLP alumnus, he handled the educational and logistical organization, driven by a simple conviction: “Talent exists to lift others up.”

Alongside him, Yessoufou Soltana Abèni, a student in econometrics and applied statistics, established herself as a key player in the design and success of the project through her determination and perseverance. Montcho Karen Chryswina Colombe, recipient of an excellence scholarship from the Fondation de France in partnership with Bénin Excellence, also played a central role. A general medicine student, she embodies this engaged generation of young people who dream of durably transforming Benin’s healthcare system.

The whole effort was overseen by Adjakossa Zoungbowenon Mahunan Jean Duconois, the project’s mentor. A former Beninese youth parliamentarian, top of his class in project management at ENA and currently pursuing a master’s degree in political science at Sorbonne Paris Nord University, he brought valuable expertise drawn from his experience with UNICEF, the Swiss Tobé Foundation and Benin’s Youth Parliament.

A training program in five key stages

Structured as a progressive journey, Benin Young Tech Leaders unfolded in five major stages. The first session unpacked the fundamental concepts of artificial intelligence while laying the foundations of leadership. Sessions 2 and 4 immersed participants in Python programming, with hands-on learning that moved from theory to writing their first lines of code.

The program was further enriched by international mentorship from Americans Jennifer Gedney and Seth Wing, who shared their experiences and discussed with the young participants the essential qualities of a leader in the digital age. A day of community engagement at the Demeure d’Amour orphanage also gave participants the chance to put the values of solidarity and service into practice.

The closing ceremony, held in the presence of parents and local authorities, marked the culmination of the project. Participants presented what they had learned and received certificates, while the four top performers were awarded prizes.

The project’s impact is tangible. Assessments carried out before and after the training show clear progress. All participants are now able to write a simple line of Python code to interact with a user.

The legacy is already continuing. The five best-performing participants are expected to join the ÉlectroKids club as well as the AI summer school run by the NGO Bénin Excellence.