ADEA and AfDB/OSDH side event during the AfDB Annual Meetings 2015

An education revolution is needed in Africa to build 21st century human capital. Are you ready? #afdbam2015

ADEA co-organized with the Human Development Department (OSHD) of the African Development Bank (AfDB) a side event during the AfDB Annual Meetings in Abidjan on May 28th at Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire, on the theme “Investing in relevant skills to support the diversification of African economies”.

Africa needs new critical skills to improve productivity, raise the employability of graduates and foster enterprise creation. Africa is the world’s youngest region, its second fastest growing continent, and will have the world’s largest workforce by 2040, surpassing China and India. Unemployment remains pervasive as the labor market features increasing skills mismatch and low productivity in the informal sector. This event will highlight the importance of addressing a paradigm shift in the education and training sector away from business as usual to an approach which encompasses both high end science and technology skills with non-formal and informal skills.

Issues for Discussion:

The event will specifically increased political awareness of the need to revolutionize education and training in Africa to produce the relevant workforce for tomorrow’s labor market to accelerate economic growth and sustainable development. It will also share proven best practices from Africa and around the world that contribute to effective education and skills development to support job creation and foster economic transformation that Africa needs.

Moderator: Mr. Daniel Makokera, Pamuzinda Productions

Welcoming Remarks: Hon. Gnamien Konan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire

The Panel included:

  • Hon. Mr. Martial De-Paul Ikounga, Commissioner, Human Resources, Science and Technology, Africa Union Commission
  • Hon. Mr. Moussa Dosso, Minister of State, Minister of Employment, Social Affairs and Vocational Training, Côte d’Ivoire
  • Ms. Hendrina Doroba, Executive Director, Forum for African Women Educationalists, FAWE
  • Mr. Moussa Koné, Président, Ligue des jeunes leaders de Côte d’Ivoire
  • M. Getachew Engida, Directeur General Adjoint, UNESCO

The following officials were present in the audience, and were part of the floor discussions:

  • Ms. Oley Dibba-Wadda, Executive secretary, ADEA
  • Mr. Bernard Ndoumi, Représentant du Président de la Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d'Ivoire
  • Ms. Sunita Pitamber, Director of Human Development Department, African Development Bank
  • Mr. Etienne Porgo, Manager, Education, African Development Bank

During this event, ADEA presented awards to 5 African scholars and 1 African institution for their distinctive research on innovative education policy and practices in Africa through  Four categories (i) Best emerging educational researcher; (ii) Best accomplished educational researcher; (iii) Outstanding mentor of educational researchers and (iv) Best enabling institutional environment for educational research.

This award, known as the Education Research in Africa Award (ERAA), is jointly managed by ADEA and the African Development Institute (ADI) of the African Development Bank (AfDB) with financial support from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC).

Contacts: