As the Continental Education Conference enters its second day, African heads of state and Government have gathered in Nouakchott for a high-stakes dialogue on education transformation. The conference, themed “Educating and Qualifying Our Youth for a Prosperous Integrated and Dynamic Africa,” represents the most significant gathering of African leaders on education this year, building on months of continental focus during the African Union’s Year of Education.
The scale of Africa’s educational challenge became clear through UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban’s presentation on demographic trends. With the continent’s child population expected to reach 930 million by 2050, African Union Commission (AUC), Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, emphasized the urgency of addressing a looming crisis in teaching capacity, with a current shortage of 15 million teachers. This shortfall is particularly concerning as conflicts have already forced thousands of school closures across the continent, affecting regions already struggling with educational access.
The presidential dialogue revealed emerging solutions to these challenges through strengthened domestic commitments. Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, demonstrated how political will can translate into concrete action, highlighting his country’s increase in education spending from 11% to 17% of its national budget. This approach to resource mobilization was echoed by Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who outlined reforms focusing on digital transformation and market-relevant education to prepare Africa’s youth majority for an increasingly digital economy.
Regional cooperation emerged as another key solution, with Algeria’s President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, announcing expanded support for Pan-African education. Building on Algeria’s existing support for 65,000 African students, the country will now provide 2,500 annual scholarships for higher education and vocational training. This commitment aligns with initiatives presented by other leaders to strengthen educational capacity across borders, recognizing that continental challenges require collaborative solutions.
Host President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania, and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), synthesized these various approaches, emphasizing how infrastructure deficits and climate impacts affect education across the continent. His call for collective action reflects the growing recognition that educational transformation requires both national commitment and regional cooperation, themes that will be central to the forthcoming Nouakchott Declaration.
As the Continental Education Conference continues through tomorrow, the high-level engagement of African Heads of State signals strengthened political will to address educational challenges. Their participation comes at a crucial moment when the continent faces both unprecedented demographic opportunities and pressing needs for educational transformation.
