The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said massive investments in basic education for African children are required to help the continent realise its long-term transformation agenda.

Etleza Kadili, UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said in a statement in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, ahead of the Day of the African Child on Sunday.

It said that education financing on the continent remains dismal and that less than one in five countries has dedicated 20 per cent of their public budgets to enhancing foundational skills for their children.

“To ensure prosperity in Africa, we urgently need to see a continental revolution where commitments are turned into concrete action so children can attain the foundational skills necessary to progress to higher forms of education,” UNICEF said.

The theme of the 2024 Day of the African Child, observed annually on June 16, will be “Education for all children in Africa: the time is now,” underscoring the urgency to realise universal childhood literacy in the continent.

UNICEF said that despite its role in building human capital to propel Africa’s growth, education financing on the continent has slackened, preventing millions of children from acquiring the basic literacy and skills that they require to thrive.

According to UNICEF, despite significant efforts by African governments over the last decade to boost primary and secondary school enrolment, schools continue to lack basic amenities, are overcrowded, and have insufficient teachers.

The UN agency noted that four out of every five African children aged 10 are unable to read and understand simple written text, highlighting the continent’s dismal learning outcomes.

UNICEF estimates that about $183 billion is required annually to support children’s education in Africa and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal on education.

However, available resources currently stand at $106 billion, leaving a financing gap of over 40 per cent.

The agency further noted that African governments spend around two per cent of their education budgets on pre-primary education, while 20 per cent is allocated to tertiary learning.

(Xinhua/NAN)