In a landmark gathering on the sidelines of the African Union Mid-Year Summit and hosted by His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, and Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, Founder/CEO of Human Capital Africa (HCA) and former World Bank Vice-President, of the Africa Region, a group of former African leaders have issued an urgent call to action to combat Africa’s learning crisis. The meeting brought together distinguished leaders including former President Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Joyce Banda (Malawi), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia).
Today, 9 out of 10 of our children cannot read with understanding, or do basic mathematics by age ten. It is a stark reality that the generational talent we need to achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063 is not being equipped with the early-stage skills it needs to drive innovation and own our future growth and development. This education deficit is not a challenge for tomorrow. It is a fundamental barrier to achieving our continent’s social, economic, and security objectives and we must take ownership, act, and build scalable solutions suited to our continent, today.
Opening the discussion, the host His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana delivered a powerful statement, saying: “We are being asked what to do at the continental level regarding foundational learning. Recognition needs to be made that we are in a learning crisis. Leadership needs to recognize that we are in a severe existential crisis! We won’t be able to work on the development issues unless we work on foundational learning. At the continental level, we need to establish accountability measures and peer review methods, only then will we start to see real progress.
We must shift our perspective from short-term solutions to long-term investments in our future. Let us not speak of a mere year of education, but instead commit to a decade of comprehensive educational reform and development. This extended timeframe allows for meaningful change, sustainable progress, and the nurturing of a generation equipped to face the challenges of tomorrow. I will champion this vision at the upcoming African Union Mid-Year Summit, advocating for a continental commitment to transformative, enduring educational policies that will shape the future of our nations and our people.”
As much as Africa has faced significant challenges in closing education funding gaps and revitalizing its education systems post-COVID-19, we mustn’t falter in our efforts. We must learn from one another and optimize and implement the existing scaleable, African-led programs that can be rolled out within existing budget constraints. This is imperative if we are to drive sustainable and meaningful improvements and change in Africa’s education systems to ensure an illuminated and thriving future.
Responding to H.E President Akufo Addo’s remarks, H.E President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria said: “True development is inseparable from education.
For me, education is not merely important—it is a matter of life and death. Without it, we fail to fulfil our potential. While a decade of focus on education is commendable, I advocate for lifelong learning—from cradle to grave. Education should be a constant companion throughout our journey. I am heartened to hear that you will champion this cause at the upcoming AU Mid-Year Summit, ensuring our collective voice resonates on this critical issue.” H.E. President Oluṣẹgun Ọbasanjọ
“Acknowledging a problem is the first step towards solving it. The fact that 9 out of 10 children lack minimum proficiency is a crisis we can no longer ignore. I propose that every President become a Chief Learning Officer, championing foundational learning as the cornerstone of education. These basic skills are the bedrock upon which all future development rests. Neglecting foundational learning is tantamount to abandoning our development goals. This is why we need not just a year, but a decade dedicated to education.” Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili.
Former President’s Olusegun Obasanjo, Jakaya Kikwete, Joyce Banda and Ellen Sirleaf Johnson collectively endorsed and built on the call made by Human Capital Africa and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) at the February AU Summit. In a collective communique, they urged Heads of Government, through the African Union, to take the following decisive steps to address the learning crisis.
Declare that it is unacceptable that nine (9) out of ten (10) of our children are unable to read with understanding and do basic math by age 10.
Acknowledge that the delivery of Agenda 2063 and its social, economic, and developmental objectives is deeply connected with learning outcomes and that the vision will not be achieved if the learning crisis is not addressed.
Collectively commit to all children reading with comprehension and doing basic mathematics by the age of ten by 2030 as the foundation for future academic success and beyond.
Take action to urgently implement cost-effective evidence-based solutions like Structured Pedagogy and Teaching at the Right Level that can accelerate learning outcomes and be delivered within existing budget resources, supporting internal efficiencies in the face of debt servicing and other fiscal pressures.
Expand the active use of available tools that allow countries to measure learning outcomes early, consistently, and comparatively – routinely collecting and using evidence and data to make decisions that improve outcomes in the classroom.
Build a continental mechanism that allows countries, development partners, and citizens to hold each other accountable for learning outcomes and peer review progress.
Establish and drive a continental mechanism to enable constructive peer learning and knowledge sharing between governments and development partners so that the innovative work happening at local and country level can be scaled.
Dr Oby Ezekwesili, CEO of Human Capital Africa thanked the eminent group of African leaders for taking the time to focus on the learning crisis and urged the AU to listen to their voices “We are privileged to have this esteemed group of current and former African leaders coming together in recognition of the fierce urgency we must inject into the fight to end the learning crisis in Africa. Their commitment to building the foundations for the education system that can deliver our vision as a continent is inspiring and there can be nothing more important than ensuring the generations that follow them are equipped to build on the impact they have made.”
African leaders must heed this call. This is a challenge that we understand. It is one that members of the Ministerial Coalition on Foundational Learning are actively working on, developing, and implementing evidence-based interventions within existing budget resources. We know how to solve it, and we now need the high-level political leadership that will enable the incredible African innovation taking place to reach all the children who need it.