The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has challenged African countries to explore cutting-edge solutions that will help address learning poverty and promote learning gains.

Such solutions, he said, should also be geared towards improving quality, ensuring equity, and harnessing technology to enhance learning outcomes and co-create robust, inclusive, and adaptable education systems that empower every learner to thrive across the continent.

Speaking at the opening session of the 2025 Triennale on Education and Training of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) in Accra on Wednesday, October 29, Mr Iddrisu further challenged participants at the three-day event to interrogate how Africa could address the challenge of over 100 million out-of-school children across the continent.

The continental event, on the theme “Strengthening the resilience of Africa’s educational systems: Advancing towards ending learning poverty by 2035, with a well-educated and skilled workforce for the continent and beyond,” is a forum for policy dialogue, attracting leaders and stakeholders to share best practices, innovations, and evidence-based strategies for improving education across the continent.

The three-day conference brings together over 350 participants, including more than 30 African ministers of education and high-level representatives from international development partners such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, UNESCO, the Gates Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

Mr. Iddrisu further tasked the participants to also navigate the complexities of 21st-century education, which was being rapidly driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

He urged the participants to use the opportunity of the event to reimagine education, foster partnerships, and drive transformative change within the context of educational technology. 

“Let us collectively work towards an Africa where every child has access to quality education, unlocking their full potential and propelling the continent towards prosperity. 

“Let us work towards an African educational system that prepares the African youth to be proud as Africans, develop a youth mindset that internalizes African citizenship before global citizenship, and a mindset that motivates educated African youth to use developed skills and acquired knowledge to address socioeconomic challenges facing countries across the continent,” he charged the participants.

He urged participating countries to share best practices, challenging experiences, and collectively chart a brighter future for Africa's education landscape.

Taking participants through Ghana’s educational trajectory, Mr. Iddrisu said it had been characterized by resilience, creativity, and determination “as we move beyond access expansion to the provision and delivery of quality and inclusive education.”