JOINT PRESS RELEASE

“Africa Month” Concludes First Week with Strong Advocacy for STEM Education and Job Creation for African Youth.

Addis Ababa, Geneva, Paris, New York, Washington D.C., 11 May 2024 – The Africa Dialogue Series 2024 wrapped up its first week with a resounding call to invest in infrastructure and policies facilitating young Africans, including women and girls, to acquire and maintain STEM skills. This initiative aims to enhance their competitiveness in the job market, paving the way for decent employment opportunities and bolstering Africa's development momentum.

The Dialogue was launched by United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

The UN Deputy Chief called for a massive scale-up of investment in education and for moving education spending from expense to investment. Noting that African countries need an additional $77 billion per year to reach national SDG 4 targets by 2030, she emphasized the need to strengthen domestic resource mobilization for education and to boost international support for countries in debt distress to mitigate the debt’s impact on education.

In her opening statement, AUC Deputy Chairperson, Dr. Nsanzabaganwa said that by embracing innovative and transformative educational practices, Africa can unlock its full potential and create a better future for its people, adding that human development is central to achieving the African Union Agenda 2063.  She commended the alignment of the theme of the 2024 edition of the Africa Dialogue Series with the African Union’s 2024 Theme of the Year, which is also focused on education.

Pegged to a new policy brief titled STEM Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa with a Focus on Generating Decent Jobs for Africa’s Youth, an international webinar featuring leaders from the United Nations and its partners took place, underscoring the urgent need for decent job creation in Africa through STEM education, emphasizing equitable access, empowerment of girls, and inclusive employment policies to harness the continent's potential.

During the webinar, a panel discussion highlighted the critical need to align education with evolving labour market demands, stressing the pivotal role of STEM education in equipping African youth with essential skills for sustainable economic growth. Panellists recognized challenges such as resource constraints and gender disparities, calling for evidence-based policymaking and initiatives promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM.

From the national perspective, officials from Egypt shared the impact of programmes and industry partnerships to enhance STEM education and improve citizens' employability prospects.

The Youth Stage segment saw young participants advocating for transforming Africa's educational landscape, tackling learning poverty, promoting African-led solutions in STEM and boosting collaborative problem-solving. They called for investments supporting local STEM industries and the early introduction to STEM education to address challenges effectively.

The audience echoed the sentiment, advocating for the integration of STEM into national curricula across Africa to empower youth and shape the continent's future.

For further information, please contact:

United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa

• Rado Ratovonarivo | ratovonarivo@un.org
• Keolebogile Diswai | keolebogile.diswai@un.org
• François Charlier | charlier@un.org

African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations

• Esther Azaa Yambou Tankou | YambouE@africa-union.org

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