At the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) 2024 Annual Meetings held in Nairobi on May 28 2024, experts have called on African governments to bolster efforts in attracting private-sector investments to elevate tertiary education and equip the continent’s youth with vital skills for the future. The dialogue accentuated that political commitment is essential to ensure the success of these investments.
Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania and Board Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, passionately advocated for an increased commitment to national education funding. “To build a stronger tertiary education pipeline, we need to lay solid foundations with early learning, primary, and secondary education, creating a talent pool of trained young people ready for lifelong learning and success,” Kikwete emphasized. He highlighted the importance of utilizing Africa’s demographic potential as the world’s largest emerging labor force.
The event, titled “Policy Dialogue on Innovative Financing for Tertiary Education in Africa: Revitalizing the Role of the Private Sector,” was a collaborative effort between the AfDB, the Kenyan government, the African Union Commission, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The discussions focused on exploring strategies and best practices to galvanize private-sector funding for tertiary education.
A key highlight of the session was the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent between the AfDB and GIZ, aimed at scaling up joint commitments to skills development to enhance youth employability in Africa. The Build4Skills initiative, part of this agreement, will place young trainees in workplace training within Bank-supported infrastructure projects in sectors like agriculture, water, and transport for periods ranging from 6 to 12 months. This initiative is in line with the AfDB’s Action Plan on Skills for Employability and Productivity in Africa 2022-2025.
Birgit Pickel, Director-General for Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), expressed strong support for the collaboration. “This marks the first Declaration of Intent between our organizations in education, and we are thrilled about this partnership. It signifies our commitment to scaling up vocational training and skills development in African countries, especially given the current pressing challenges.”
Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture, Human, and Social Development at the AfDB, outlined the Bank’s significant contributions to tertiary education and skills development. “Our focus has been on strengthening infrastructure for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and encouraging private sector investments in skills development and job creation,” Dunford noted. Over the past decade, the AfDB has allocated $964 million to these efforts, including $80 million for Nigeria’s Ekiti state Special Economic Zone project and $23 million for Rwanda’s Centre of Excellence for Aviation Skills.
Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, stressed the need for increased investment in tertiary education at multiple levels. “From 2017 to 2019, only seven African countries met the recommended 6 percent of GDP expenditure on education, with the average hovering around 4 percent,” Belhocine highlighted.
Dr. James Mwangi, Group CEO of Equity Holdings, shared insights into successful collaborations with tertiary institutions across the continent. “In partnership with the Kenyan government, Equity Group has awarded scholarships to at least 23,000 students,” Mwangi reported, showcasing the impact of private sector involvement in education.
The 2024 Annual Meetings of the AfDB registered over 10,000 participants, with approximately 5,000 delegates attending in person. The meetings will feature a presidential dialogue on Wednesday, further underlining the high-level commitment to advancing education and skills development in Africa.
