APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Claver Gatete calls for acceleration of digital education in Africa in a bid to help the continent achieve its future development agendas.
Speaking at the 44th ordinary session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) on Wednesday, Gatete said Africa needs to accelerate digital connectivity, accessibility, and affordability to bridge the digital divide on the continent.
Noting that education is a basic human right and a key enabler for achieving Africa’s collective socio-economic development objectives, the executive secretary said the AU should commit to transform the education system in the continent to one that is ‘fit for purpose’ in today’s world.
The session, comprising foreign affairs ministers from AU member states and runs from February 14th to 15th, is being held under the AU’s theme of the year for 2024 “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”
He urged countries in the continent to make the necessary investments in infrastructure, mobilise resources and develop the right curricula that will allow them to leverage their natural and human capital, and demographic dividends.
“By 2030, nearly one in two young people globally will be African. But the evolving population dynamics is not matched with vital skills for Africans to fully participate in a changing workforce,” Gatete said.
While reminding delegates that African leaders had questioned the relevance of the colonial education system back in 1960 in meeting the developmental needs of the continent, the executive secretary urged African countries to prepare their youth for the future job market.
He also urged African governments to give more emphasis to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in order to generate more wealth in the continent.
“Without a doubt, it makes good business sense to upscale investments in Africa’s education system toward areas that enhance productivity and boost global competitiveness” Gatete said
According to the executive secretary, inadequate resources, lack of education and absence of basic numeracy are limiting Africa’s STEM landscape. We must therefore ask: ‘what investments do we need to make today to generate a workforce for the future,” he said.
Gatete urged African leaders to promote cross-continental educational networks and intra-Africa knowledge sharing and narrow the digital gender divide to deliver better education in the continent.
MG/as/APA