LocationsYouth for Circularity 2030 Initiative convenes African Youth to promote circular economy at the 6th African Youth SDGs Summit in Accra - Ghana.
June 29, 2026
ACCRA, GHANA, 30 June 2026 — More than 100 young innovators from across Africa gathered in Accra from 23 to 25 June 2026 for the Pan-African Mobile Circularity Hackathon, a youth-led innovation challenge focused on finding practical, scalable solutions to the continent’s fast-growing mobile e-waste challenge.
Organized under the Youth for Circularity 2030 Initiative – a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Samsung – the hackathon was held as part of the 6th African Youth SDGs Summit, one of the continent’s largest youth forums for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, bringing together around 1,000 young people from across the continent.
Aerial view of participants at the Africa Youth SDG Summit opening ceremony.
As mobile phone use continues to rise, so does the challenge of electronic waste. More than 1.2 billion smartphones were sold globally in 2024, generating over 60 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) during manufacturing. Yet recycling rates for small electronic devices remain low.
With an estimated 10 billion phones lying dormant worldwide – and 70 to 90 per cent of a device’s carbon footprint embedded in manufacturing – extending device life through repair, refurbishment and reuse is one of the most effective climate actions available. It is also a growing economic opportunity, with the global refurbished smartphone market projected to exceed US$110 billion by 2027.
The hackathon combined technical masterclasses and hands-on innovation sessions for around 120 young participants, exploring the full lifecycle of mobile devices – from design and manufacturing to repair, reuse and recycling. Participants then developed and pitched solutions aimed at strengthening mobile circularity systems across Africa.
The overall Youth for Circularity 2030 Project is currently being implemented in Sierra Leone with technical support from the Cooling, Circularity and Pollution Prevention Team within UNDP’s Planet Hub.
Speaking at the opening of the Africa Youth SDGs Summit, Dr. Matthias Naab, Director of the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, highlighted the importance of youth-led innovation in addressing Africa’s growing e-waste challenge.
Dr. Matthias Naab speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the African Youth SDG Summit.
“While mobile device waste is rising across Africa and recycling systems remain limited, this challenge presents a powerful opportunity for climate action and job creation. We call on young innovators to step forward through the Youth for Circularity 2030’s Mobile Circularity Hackathon, to turn bold ideas into scalable solutions that reduce waste and drive Africa’s circular economy.”Dr. Matthias Naab, Director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa
Over two days, 20 teams participated in expert-led sessions delivered by Samsung on the mobile-device lifecycle and the business case for circularity.
Fredrick Ampiah, UNDP Resident Representative for Sierra Leone, emphasized the importance of linking innovation to real-world systems and market opportunities.
“Real impact comes when innovation meets industry standards. By working directly with young teams — from the mobile device lifecycle to the business case for refurbishment — we are helping ensure their solutions are not only inventive, but credible, scalable and ready for the market.”Fredrick Ampiah – UNDP Resident Representative for Sierra Leone
Cross-section of young people at the Youth for Circularity 2030’s Mobile Circularity Hackathon opening session.
At the end of the hackathon, three winning teams were selected and will receive technical support through UNDP’s UniPod initiative to further develop and scale their ideas in their respective countries. The selected teams and their winning ideas are as follows:
1. Diamond Winners: E-waste Marshall. The team proposed a concept to bridge ICT e-waste from corporate institutions in Ghana to local and international recyclers, helping strengthen compliance with Ghana’s Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act (Act 917). By combining responsible e-waste collection with public awareness, the solution aims to advance a more sustainable and circular approach to electronic waste management. Team members: Janice Ama Dede Adjei (Ghana), Isaac Selasi Ahadzi (Ghana), John Howard Wealth (Ghana), Blessing Kukwang Dayam (Ghana), Ernest Emekor Duho (Ghana), Patrice Cossi (Benin), Edna Beverla (Ghana).
Celebrating innovation in action: E-waste Marshall, Diamond Winners of the hackathon, receive their certificate.
2. Gold Winners: E-cycle Connect. The team proposed a digital marketplace designed to connect consumers, e-waste collectors, and certified recyclers to make e-waste management more accessible, transparent, and responsible. Their concept would enable consumers to schedule pickups or locate nearby drop-off points, while creating fairer market access for collectors through direct connections with certified recyclers. By strengthening the e-waste value chain, the solution aims to support livelihoods and advance Africa’s mobile circular economy. Team members: Jean-Marie Akiwele Nabare (Ghana), Nana Nyama Danso (Ghana), Anuforo Goodluck Eziokwu (Nigeria), Rabiatu Yakubu (Ghana), Ayittah Lawrence Amanor (Ghana), Kackah Ushahemba Alex (Nigeria), Simon M Kiambati (Kenya).
E-cycle Connect, Gold Winners, proudly receive their certificate.
3. Silver Winners: Nkabom Innovators. The team proposed a concept to intercept domestic electronic waste within local communities through an incentivized, low-tech collection model. The solution aims to transform recovered materials into commercial products while repurposing power components to support localized clean-energy solutions, advancing a more circular approach to e-waste management. Team members: Ophelia Adubofour (Ghana), Wendy Akushika Dogbegah (Ghana), Noah Johnson Ananga (Ghana), Bella Cisse (Mali), Seidu Inusah Jaminja (Ghana).
Nkabom Innovators, Silver Winners, proudly receive their certificate.
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About UNDP
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with partners in more than 170 countries, UNDP helps nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
About UNDP-Samsung Partnership
Since 2019, UNDP and Samsung have partnered to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation, technology, and youth engagement. Led by UNDP HQ, the global partnership launched the Samsung Global Goals App, which raises awareness of the SDGs while generating support for UNDP’s development work. In 2020, the partners expanded their collaboration through Generation17, an initiative that empowers young leaders driving solutions to global challenges. Renewed through 2030, the partnership now also supports community-based initiatives focused on youth, education, and circularity, including projects in Sierra Leone and Viet Nam.
About Youth for Circularity 2030 Initiative
The Youth Circularity 2030 initiative forms part of the broader global partnership between UNDP and Samsung to empower young people to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Sierra Leone, Youth Circularity 2030 brings this global vision into practice, connecting students and young innovators to international knowledge networks, mentorship, and emerging technologies while supporting them to design solutions for mobile reuse, repair, and recycling within their local context to advance circular economy.
About UniPods
University Innovation Pods (UniPods) are timbuktoo’s campus-based delivery infrastructure, collaborative innovation spaces giving young people prototyping tools, mentorship and pathways to investment. They are operational in more than a dozen African countries and serve as the post-event home where hackathon teams continue to build.
About the 6th African Youth SDGs Summit
The African Youth SDGs Summit is the continent’s largest youth forum on the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2026 edition convenes in Accra, Ghana, from 23 to 25 June under the theme “Reimagining Africa through Youth-Driven Solutions.”
Media contact
Tanya Honnah, Communication & Partnership Analyst
UNDP, Sierra Leone
tanya.honnah@undp.org