The African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), has successfully concluded the Peer Review and Knowledge Exchange Meeting on Higher Education and TVET: Curating Innovations and Best Practices in Skills Development, held from 30 June to 2 July 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The three-day continental forum convened representatives of African Union Member States, higher education institutions, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, industry leaders, research institutions, innovation ecosystems, youth organizations, and education experts to exchange experiences, showcase scalable African innovations, and strengthen collaboration in advancing Africa's education and skills transformation agenda.
Held within the framework of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 26–35), the Continental TVET Strategy (CTVET-34), the AU Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025–2034), and Agenda 2063, the meeting reaffirmed that transforming Africa's education systems requires a shift from fragmented initiatives towards integrated, future-oriented, and implementation-driven reforms that equip learners with the competencies required for a rapidly evolving knowledge economy.
Throughout the meeting, participants examined strategic reforms aimed at repositioning higher education and TVET as engines of industrialization, innovation, entrepreneurship, regional integration and inclusive economic growth. Deliberations focused on Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), qualifications harmonization, digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence, labour market intelligence, entrepreneurship education, industry-academia partnerships, work-based learning, innovation ecosystems, sustainable financing, climate-responsive education, green skills, lifelong learning, and evidence-based policy making.
Member States presented promising national reforms demonstrating how strengthened governance, policy coherence, institutional coordination and closer collaboration between governments, industry, education institutions and the informal sector are creating more responsive, resilient and demand-driven skills ecosystems. Participants emphasized that education systems must evolve beyond preparing graduates for employment to nurturing innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators by embedding creativity, digital competencies, problem-solving and entrepreneurial mindsets across teaching and learning.
A recurring message throughout the forum was that peer learning and continental knowledge exchange remain among Africa's most powerful instruments for accelerating reform, enabling countries to learn from one another, adapt proven solutions to their national contexts and avoid duplication of effort. Participants reaffirmed that partnerships among governments, higher education institutions, TVET providers, employers, development partners, research institutions and innovation ecosystems are indispensable for achieving sustainable education transformation.
The meeting further underscored the critical importance of strengthening practical learning environments and innovation ecosystems to prepare learners for the future of work. Presentations by Don Bosco Tech Africa, the Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations, STEMPower, and the African Union's Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) programme demonstrated that scalable African-led innovations are already delivering tangible results in entrepreneurship development, digital learning, STEM education, workplace readiness and industry engagement. Participants agreed that these successful practices should be systematically documented, curated, replicated and scaled across Member States to accelerate continental education transformation.
Participants also reaffirmed that Competency-Based Education and Training, Recognition of Prior Learning, National Qualifications Frameworks and alignment with the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) are essential for strengthening quality assurance, facilitating learner and labour mobility, supporting implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and advancing continental integration. The meeting further called for increased investment in teacher professional development, digital infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), labour market intelligence, monitoring frameworks, climate-responsive education and sustainable financing as foundations for resilient, evidence-driven and future-ready education systems.
Speaking during the closing session, Ms. Sophia Ashipala, Head of the Education Division at the African Union Commission, commended participants for their active engagement and reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to supporting Member States in translating dialogue into measurable action. "Our responsibility now is to ensure that these innovations do not remain conference presentations, but evolve into national reforms, strengthened partnerships, scalable programmes and measurable improvements in learning outcomes, employability, entrepreneurship and economic transformation. Africa possesses the innovation, expertise and partnerships needed to transform its education system; our collective task is to scale these solutions for continental impact."
She further emphasized that the African Union Commission will continue supporting Member States through policy dialogue, technical cooperation, peer learning, continental communities of practice, knowledge management and the systematic documentation and dissemination of best practices to accelerate implementation of CESA 2026–2035, the Continental TVET Strategy (CTVET-34) and the AU Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025–2034).
The meeting concluded with a strong continental consensus that Africa's education transformation must move beyond policy dialogue to implementation; beyond isolated innovations to scalable national reforms; and beyond individual country successes to a coordinated continental ecosystem that promotes employability, entrepreneurship, industrialization, digital transformation, green growth and regional integration. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration, deepening industry engagement, modernizing qualifications systems, scaling African innovations and investing in future-oriented skills that will enable Africa's young people to thrive in an increasingly knowledge-based, technology-driven and globally competitive economy.
For Further information, please contact:
- Dr. Caseley Olabode Stephens | Principal Officer, Basic and Secondary Education | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: StephensC@africanunion.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
- Mr. Maqhawe Freedom Thwala | Digital Communications Officer | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: ThwalaM@africanunion.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org
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