Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has urged African governments to increase domestic investment in education and reduce reliance on donor funding.
Speaking at the AdEA Triennale 2025 in Accra on Wednesday, October 29, the Minister questioned the continent’s preparedness for the future, given the persistent challenges confronting the education sector.
“Is Africa ready? And is Africa ready for the future? When Africa is still grappling with congested classrooms, a shortage of teachers, lack of infrastructure to support and speed up digital, inclusive, equitable, and quality education, I’m certain that with your presence in this room, we will find answers to many of these questions,” Mr. Iddrisu said.
He expressed concern that, unlike other regions of the world where the number of out-of-school children is declining, Africa continues to record an increase.
“I’m told that it’s only in Africa that we have the number of out-of-school children growing and increasing. In every other part of the world, in every other continent, the number keeps decreasing. But for Africa, the number is growing,” he noted.
Mr. Iddrisu called for stronger political will and commitment from African leaders to prioritize education financing.
“How committed are we, as governments, to invest more in education and to look for resources within our countries? There’s even a more compelling reason why we are gathered here. We are all witnesses to the compelling factor of dwindling commitment and investment by donors in education in Africa.
“Therefore, we cannot continue to rely on donor support to finance our education,” he emphasized.
The AdEA Triennale 2025 brought together education leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the continent to discuss transformative strategies for strengthening Africa’s educational systems under the theme, “Strengthening the Resilience of Africa’s Educational Systems.”
