The pressure mounting on Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), one of Africa’s most influential tech incubators, has intensified as Nigerian edtech startup Dumena released an open letter on Saturday, shifting from solidarity to outright critique. 

The company alleges systemic flaws within the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, particularly in how its cohorts are selected.

Titled “Championing Transparency and Grassroots Impact in African Innovation,” Dumena’s letter argues that the current innovation ecosystem favors startups with foreign affiliations and polished optics over those with proven community impact.

“The report uncovers a critical issue: only 4 of 12 startups in the cohort demonstrate active community engagement and are locally based,” Dumena stated, referencing the May 31 internal report compiled by Izesan! following its own open letter to CcHUB.

While the report has not been made public, Dumena references its contents to argue that the majority of selected startups are either led from abroad or lack a local-facing strategy, raising serious concerns about whether CcHUB is truly enabling African-led, grassroots innovation or simply promoting globally connected ventures that look good on paper.

This marks a significant evolution in Dumena’s stance. Just days ago, the startup expressed support for Izesan Limited’s call for transparency. Now, it is going further, presenting evidence, making pointed demands, and openly calling for reform.

“Our experience at Dumena mirrors this challenge,” the team wrote. “Despite our dedication to fostering innovation and education in Nigeria, we have faced opaque selection processes and a lack of constructive feedback from institutions like CcHUB.”

The letter calls for a three-pronged solution, Transparent selection criteria that prioritize measurable community engagement, Constructive feedback for all applicants and an end to what Dumena describes as ‘silent gatekeeping’

These demands come on the heels of Izesan!’s earlier open letter, which accused CcHUB of three years of dismissive rejections and unacknowledged applications—despite the startup’s work on preserving indigenous African languages through educational technology.

Together, these two letters and now, an alleged internal report are painting a picture of an innovation ecosystem that, according to critics, has grown disconnected from the very communities it claims to serve.

“The core problem is an ecosystem that prioritizes optics over demonstrated local impact,” Dumena warned, adding that this dynamic “fails the very communities it aims to uplift.”

As of the time of publication, CcHUB has not publicly addressed either the allegations in Izesan!’s letter, the findings in its internal report, nor Dumena’s follow-up call for reform.

The Mastercard Foundation, whose name is attached to the fellowship in question, has also not reacted

“Together, we can build an ecosystem where grassroots impact is celebrated,” Dumena concluded. “And every innovator has a fair opportunity to thrive.”