The African Union Commission Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mauritania UNICEF (AUC-UNICEF-MAURITANIA) has called for adequate investment to achieve a meaningful education agenda in Africa.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the AU on Sunday on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Dialogue on Financing Accelerated Action on Education and Skills in Africa during the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

It also stated the need for AU member states and education partners to increase funding for education by implementing concrete actions to tackle the issue of education financing in line with the Nouakchott Declaration.

The event seeks to ensure effective implementation of the recommendations by the Nouakchott Declaration: a high-level political dialogue on financing accelerated action on education and skills in Africa for the 21st century.

It further stated that investing in education reinforces the calls made within the Nouakchott Declaration over a decade of Accelerated Action in Education and Elimination of Learning Poverty in Africa by 2035. Others are to highlight the key role of the AU End Learning Poverty for All in Africa, AU ELPAF, campaign in achieving these Goals.

The AU also said it seeks to raise awareness of the status of education financing on the continent in stable and humanitarian crisis contexts, and showcase good practices and new initiatives regarding funding of education in the continent and beyond.

The AU advocated for a 10-year special funding commitment by AU Member States and international development partners, targeting education, particularly early childhood development education, foundational literacy and numeracy, to support achieving the goals detailed within the Nouakchott declaration.

On December 11, 2024, African leaders adopted the Nouakchott declaration, marking a watershed moment in the continent’s commitment to educational transformation.

The declaration commits African nations to transformative actions, including making education compulsory and public education free, allocating four to seven per cent of GDP to education funding, and declaring 2025-2034 as the “AU Decade of Accelerated Action for Education Transformation, Youth Skills Development and Innovation in Africa.”

It also outlined specific measures for education in emergencies and innovative financing mechanisms, including exploring new tax revenues and leveraging international partnerships. 

(NAN)