AU Commission Showcases Technical Innovations In Education

The African Union Commission together with its partners has organized the ‘Innovating Education in Africa Virtual Expo 2021’ which is to showcase technical innovations in education.

The Expo showcased 50 innovations with the aim to establish a platform for experience sharing on relevant innovations that address education challenges in Africa and to foster partnerships for sustainability and resilience of their innovations.

The Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) is a flagship programme of the AU Commission and partners, intended to identify and promote practical social and technological innovations aimed at enhancing access, quality, relevance.

It also seeks to focus on inclusion in education in order to release the potential for empowerment, employability and inventiveness thereby improving education outcomes and impact in Africa.

A document made available to the Ghana News Agency in Tema through Mich-Seth Owusu, Programme Officer, Education Department of Human Resource Science and technology, AU Commission and Ms. Faith Adhiambo Communications Officer-Agenda 2063, AU Commission stated.

AU Commission key partners including; the European Union, GIZ and technical partners ADEA, Mastercard Foundation, Ashoka, AfDB, GPE, GeSCI, HP, UNESCO, UNICEF, Plan International, Association of African Universities, are supporting the programme.

Other partners include; Education International, FAWE, mEducation Alliance, CAFOR, ANCEFA and AUDA NEPAD.

Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) said the innovations showed a promise to be developed, replicated to increase their impact.

It also represents the inventiveness being demonstrated by mostly Africa’s young change makers that are finding solutions to critical challenges and bottlenecks in the education system.

Prof Agbor said with over 400,000 beneficiaries from education systems across Africa, the programme had demonstrated the importance of investing in education innovations through engagement with Member States, innovators and development partners: and by providing recognition at all levels, national, regional and continental.

She stressed that innovation was no longer an option, but a key necessity to adapt and secure the future of education, not only in Africa but worldwide.

Prof. Agbor added that the African Union would continue to work with Member States, RECs and partners to support the innovations with the goal of improving access, quality and management of education and training systems in line with the Continental Education Strategy for Africa to contribute to the achievement of Agenda 2063 aspirations.