CIO Awards 2025 : celebrating the excellence of african innovation
Gathered in Marrakech, the CIO Awards 2025 once again shone a spotlight on the talents transforming Africa through tangible and inspiring technological projects. An exceptional jury, chaired by Élisabeth Moreno and composed mostly of women, rewarded the most impactful initiatives in a spirit of diversity, South-North collaboration, and open innovation for the benefit of the continent.
By Dounia Ben Mohamed, in Marrakech
Everything was in place: red carpet, celebrities like Raphaël Varane and Robert Pirès, musicians… The CIO Awards 2025 evening, held on April 15 in Marrakech on the sidelines of Gitex Africa, lived up to the ambition of its promoter, Mohamadou Diallo.
“We launched this initiative with the ambition of highlighting those committed to the digital transformation of the continent and of rewarding their dedication and impact,” he recalled. “CIO Mag was created here in Marrakech more than twenty years ago, at a time when we weren’t yet talking about digital revolution. We gathered the African digital ecosystem for the first time with the CIOs, the pillars of digital development on the continent. We were supposed to be 30, we were 400.”
Today, the CIO Mag network continues to bring together African decision-makers around digital transformation. A dynamic praised by Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition: “Our strength comes from the fact that we all come from different backgrounds, but we share the same ambition for Africa.”
A diverse and inclusive jury
This year’s jury was composed mainly of women — a deliberate and fully assumed choice by its president. “It was an immense honor to chair this jury. You will discover this afternoon some incredibly inspiring innovations,” said Élisabeth Moreno, former French Minister Delegate for Equality, now head of Ring Capital and Ring Africa. She commended the diversity of the jury members, from all walks of life, reflecting a plurality of experiences and perspectives that mirror the richness of the continent. And she added: “Let’s shine a light on the brightest talents transforming our continent.”
The selection criteria were clear: already operational projects, open to all sectors, embodying open innovation in the service of Africa. The jury explored all forms of innovation — technological, social, organizational — to reward concrete, inclusive, and impact-driven approaches.
A revealing awards list
` In the Impact category, the first prize was awarded to Sébastien Luissaint, founder of Myditek. This company, originally from Guadeloupe and present in Togo and Benin, advocates for sustainable food sovereignty. “Less than 10% of farmers use technology today. We want to change that,” he declared.
The second prize went to Ayman Jaradat, Palestinian founder of the Refood Online platform, also active in Africa, particularly in Morocco. His project combats food waste while redistributing unsold goods.
In third place was Sokaina Sayouri, with Schoolify, a multilingual Moroccan edtech platform (French, English, Arabic) integrating blockchain 3.0 technology. Already deployed in over 600 schools, the solution aims for pan-African expansion thanks to a strategic partnership with Hedera and several investment funds.
Three key awards to inspire
Other awards were given to “inspiring” personalities, each embodying in their own way the values of innovation, openness, and leadership dear to the CIO Awards.
The Influence Award was granted to Élisabeth Moreno, in recognition of her unwavering commitment to inclusive technology designed by and for Africans.
Continuing this desire to unite forces across borders, the Open Business Award went to Lamia Benmakhlouf, Director of Technopark and a key figure in Moroccan tech. Her work promoting open innovation between companies from the Global South and North, as well as her pivotal role in structuring Morocco’s digital ecosystem, was praised by the jury.
Finally, the Leadership Award was presented to Hassan Jibar, VP Digital and IT at Royal Air Maroc, notably in charge of the Digital Open Innovation program.
It’s time to rewrite the rules so that they are made by Africans, for Africans… and for the world! Since the continent is the cradle of humanity, it can also become its future
“The South is showing that it creates solutions for the entire world,” said Élisabeth Moreno. “It’s time to rewrite the rules so that they are made by Africans, for Africans… and for the world! Since it is the cradle of humanity, it can also become its future.”
In short, true to tradition, the CIO Awards culminated in a ceremony that was both festive and full of meaning, where excellence, commitment, and vision came together in favor of a stronger, more inclusive, and future-oriented digital Africa.
