ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The newly appointed Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, has called for a significant transformation in Africa’s educational sector to realize the continent’s developmental goals and strategies.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, who addressed the opening of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU, the success of the continent’s plans and strategies is heavily dependent on the cultivation of human resources through an effective, quality educational system that embraces new technologies. He underscored education as the foundation for sustainable development, supporting peace and security, job creation, and the reduction of poverty and marginalization.
Highlighting the critical demographic that about 62 percent of the African population currently comprises youth, Ghazouani pointed out the detrimental impact of youth unemployment and the lack of basic skills among young Africans. “The loss of youth is the loss of the continent,” he stated, stressing the urgency for an educational overhaul.
Ghazouani lamented the continent’s delay in achieving the fourth objective of development, which focuses on quality education. He outlined the prevalent issues within the African educational landscape, including low accessibility, high dropout rates, and the poor quality of training, among other challenges. Notably, he mentioned that 75 percent of young Africans lack necessary skills by the time they complete secondary education.
The Chairperson called for a collective effort from governments, civil society, and various stakeholders to mobilize human, technical, and financial resources to initiate a revolution in the educational systems. Ghazouani emphasized the goal of providing equal opportunities for both girls and boys to acquire essential skills on a continuous basis and to unlock the potential of African women, enabling their participation in leadership roles and development initiatives.
The summit, taking place in Addis Ababa, is convened under the theme: ‘Educate an African fit for the 21st Century — Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa,’ focusing on reforming education to equip the African youth for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.