Addis Ababa, Ethiopia · 1 October 2025 — UNESCO, in partnership with UNICEF and the African Union, launched the Second Continental Report on SDG4 and CESA during the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED), an event that coincided with the official launch of the African Union Decade of Accelerated Action for the Transformation of Education and Skills Development in Africa (2025–2034).
The report, titled Transforming Learning and Skills Development in Africa, marks a shift from broad diagnostics to concrete, evidence-based solutions. It highlights scalable policies and practices driving real change across the continent, arriving at a moment when Africa's youth are projected to represent 42% of the global youth population by 2030.
A Decade-Long Commitment
The African Union Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025–2034) establishes the primary continental framework for transforming education across Africa over the next ten years. The initiative focuses on three core pillars:
- Revitalizing the teaching profession — addressing teacher shortages, quality, and professional development
- Expanding digital learning — leveraging technology to bridge access gaps and improve learning outcomes
- Aligning skills with green and digital economies — ensuring education systems produce graduates equipped for the jobs of the future
The Second Continental Report: From Diagnosis to Solutions
The Second Continental Report on SDG4 (Sustainable Development Goal 4) and CESA (Continental Education Strategy for Africa) represents a significant evolution in how African education challenges are assessed and addressed. Where the first continental report focused on diagnosing problems, this second report identifies seven promising approaches that are demonstrating measurable impact:
| Approach | Description |
|---|---|
| Inclusive education | Expanding access for marginalized and vulnerable populations |
| Alternative learning pathways | Non-formal and flexible routes to qualifications |
| Teacher learning communities | Collaborative professional development models |
| Education and TVET financing | Sustainable funding for technical and vocational education |
| Data-driven planning | Using evidence to guide education policy and investment |
| Digital learning integration | Leveraging technology for expanded access and quality |
| Skills alignment | Connecting curricula to labor market demands |
These approaches are designed to bridge persistent gaps in access, quality, and relevance — the three dimensions that have historically constrained African education systems from delivering equitable learning outcomes at scale.
A Tripartite Partnership
The launch was co-chaired by three senior officials representing the institutional partnership behind the initiative:
- Professor Gaspard Banyankimbona, African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation
- Mr. Abdoulaye Salifou, Head of the Education Sector at the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union
- Ms. Laila Gad, UNICEF Representative to the African Union
Together, they reaffirmed UNESCO and UNICEF's joint commitment to advancing SDG4 and CESA, setting the stage for coordinated action throughout the Decade.
Mr. Salifou framed the moment in unequivocal terms:
"This is more than a report — it's a call to action. The success of this Decade depends on all of us — governments, civil society, the private sector, and international partners. Let's build Africa's future on education, drive bold innovation, and collaborate across borders to share what works best."
The PACTED Conference: Focus on Teachers
The report launch took place during the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED), underscoring the central role of teachers in any education transformation effort. The conference brought together teacher educators, ministry officials, and development partners from across the continent to examine how teacher education systems can be strengthened to meet the demands of the coming decade.
The choice to launch the Decade and the report at a teacher education conference was deliberate: the African Union's framework identifies revitalizing the teaching profession as its first pillar, recognizing that no education reform can succeed without qualified, motivated, and well-supported teachers. Sub-Saharan Africa faces an estimated shortage of 15 million teachers to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030.
Building on Prior Continental Efforts
The Decade of Education and Skills Development builds upon several prior continental frameworks:
- Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016–2025) — the AU's previous decade-long education strategy, whose lessons informed the new Decade's design
- Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want — the AU's 50-year strategic framework, which identifies education as a foundational enabler of all other development goals
- SDG 4: Quality Education — the global commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education, against which African progress is measured
The Second Continental Report serves as both a capstone assessment of the CESA era and a foundational document for the new Decade, ensuring continuity while introducing a sharper focus on evidence-based solutions.
The Stakes: Africa's Demographic Imperative
The urgency behind the Decade is driven by demographics. With Africa's youth population projected to reach 42% of the global total by 2030, the continent faces a narrow window to convert its demographic dividend into economic transformation. Failure to equip this generation with relevant skills risks perpetuating cycles of unemployment, social instability, and economic dependency.
Conversely, successful education transformation could position Africa as a global hub for skilled labor, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The seven approaches identified in the continental report offer a roadmap for achieving this transformation — but their implementation requires sustained political commitment, adequate financing, and effective coordination across the continent's diverse education systems.
Looking Forward: The Decade Ahead
As the Decade of Education and Skills Development begins, several key questions will determine its success:
- Financing: Will African governments meet the commitment to allocate at least 4–6% of GDP to education, as recommended by UNESCO?
- Teacher capacity: Can the continent train and deploy the millions of qualified teachers needed to achieve universal education?
- Digital infrastructure: Will investments in connectivity and digital learning tools reach the rural and marginalized communities where they are most needed?
- Skills alignment: Can education systems adapt quickly enough to keep pace with the rapidly evolving demands of green and digital economies?
The launch of the Decade, supported by the evidence base of the Second Continental Report and the institutional partnership of UNESCO, UNICEF, and the African Union, provides a framework for addressing these questions. The coming years will reveal whether the continent can translate continental commitments into the classroom-level changes that ultimately matter.
Sources
- UNESCO, Transforming Learning and Skills: Report Launch Kicks Off the Decade of Education, 9 October 2025 —
- UNESCO, Executive Report —
- UNESCO, Full Report —
- UNESCO-IICBA, Selected Education Events and Conferences in Africa —
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
