African Leaders Demand Revolutionary Education Financing at UNGA

African education ministers and heads of state representatives will convene at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 to launch an urgent appeal for transformative financing of foundational learning across the continent, where nearly 9 out of 10 children cannot read and understand simple text by age 10.

The high-level side event titled “Disrupt to Deliver: Financing the Future of Foundational Learning” will take place from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT at Teach for All House on Broadway, bringing together ministers from Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan alongside senior officials from UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Gates Foundation.

The gathering addresses Africa’s mounting educational crisis as traditional donor support diminishes dramatically, forcing the continent to develop innovative domestic financing strategies. The African Union’s “End Learning Poverty for All in Africa” (ELPAf) campaign, launched with the motto “Can Read, Can Write, Can Count: Foundation4Life,” serves as the framework for this urgent mobilization.

Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, President of Human Capital Africa and former World Bank Vice President, will join Association for the Development of Education in Africa Executive Secretary Albert Nsengiyumva in leading discussions on post-aid era solutions. Nsengiyumva will deliver a keynote address on “Smarter Investment, Leadership Ownership & the Post-Big Aid Era,” highlighting Africa’s shift toward self-reliance in educational development.

The crisis has intensified as learning poverty increased by one-third in low- and middle-income countries following the worst educational shock in recorded history, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the heaviest burden. The statistics reveal a generation at risk, with foundational literacy and numeracy skills remaining elusive for the vast majority of African children.

Senior officials from the Gates Foundation, including Global Education Director Dr. Benjamin Piper, will showcase evidence-based interventions that governments can implement cost-effectively. UNICEF’s Global Director of Education and Adolescent Development Pia Britto will present partnership models supporting governmental capacity building efforts.

The event organizers, including the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, VVOB, Human Capital Africa, and the Gates Foundation, have structured the program to generate concrete commitments rather than theoretical discussions. A joint communique detailing specific calls to action for African governments, international partners, and African philanthropists will be released during the session.

The ELPAf campaign aims to ensure every child in Africa achieves quality foundational literacy and numeracy skills by 2035, requiring unprecedented coordination between governments, development partners, and private sector actors. The campaign has already launched in multiple countries including Malawi, where it became the second country after Zambia to officially adopt the initiative.

Hempel Foundation CEO Anders Holm will represent philanthropic perspectives on sustainable financing models that can complement reduced official development assistance. The foundation’s involvement signals growing private sector recognition that educational transformation requires innovative funding mechanisms beyond traditional aid structures.

The timing coincides with mounting evidence that Africa’s educational progress, while significant over six decades in terms of enrollment expansion, has failed to translate into actual learning outcomes. Girls’ school enrollment increases and rising tertiary education participation mask the fundamental reality that most primary school students lack basic reading comprehension skills.

Rural and marginalized communities face particularly acute challenges, with the learning poverty crisis compounded by infrastructure deficits, teacher shortages, and inadequate instructional materials. The withdrawal of traditional donor support threatens to reverse even modest gains achieved in recent years.

African governments attending the session will present domestic financing innovations and policy reforms designed to maximize educational impact with limited resources. These approaches represent a fundamental shift from dependency on external funding toward sustainable, locally-driven solutions.

The event’s emphasis on “disruption” reflects recognition that conventional educational approaches have proven insufficient to address the scale of the challenge. Cost-effective interventions showcased will include reading acceleration programs, teacher training innovations, and community-based learning initiatives that have demonstrated measurable results.

TaRL Africa, a key organizer, brings experience with targeted instruction approaches that have shown promise in improving learning outcomes across multiple African countries. Their involvement ensures practical, field-tested solutions receive prominence alongside policy discussions.

The high-level dialogue format allows for frank discussions between education ministers about resource mobilization challenges and successful strategies. This peer-to-peer learning approach acknowledges that African countries face similar constraints while possessing diverse experiences worth sharing.

International organization participation, including the World Bank and Global Partnership for Education, signals continued commitment to supporting African-led solutions rather than imposing external priorities. This partnership model represents evolved development cooperation based on African ownership and leadership.

The event concludes with a group photograph of participants and dignitaries, symbolizing collective commitment to the educational transformation agenda. However, the real measure of success will be the concrete financing commitments and policy changes that emerge from these discussions.

The initiative occurs as the African Union Year of Education 2024 framework emphasizes eliminating learning poverty by 2035 through national action plans, high-level policy commitment, and increased domestic financing. This timeline requires immediate, coordinated action across all levels of government and society.

The September 23 gathering represents a critical moment for African educational leadership, demonstrating whether the continent can successfully transition from aid dependency to self-directed educational transformation while addressing one of its most pressing developmental challenges.

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