The World Bank has pledged to double its financing for education in Africa to $6.2 billion by 2025 to provide every child the opportunity to access quality education.
Ms Ousmane Diagana, the World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference to close the Ministerial on Education for Western and Central Africa, said the move was to expand access to education in Africa.
He said currently, the bank spent $3.1 billion of its portfolio on education financing in Africa.
Mr Diagana said the funds would be used to support primary, secondary and tertiary education.
The day’s conference organised by the World Bank and attended by Finance and Education Ministers from the countries in the two regions, representatives of regional bodies and World Bank officials, was also used to launch the World Bank Africa Western and Central Education Strategy 2022-2025.
It was aimed at galvanising action around highlighting key findings of the World Bank Africa Western and Central Education Strategy 2022-2025 and building a coalition on education movement with increased focus on quality education to promote human capital in the Western and Central Africa Regions.
The World Bank Africa Western and Central Education Strategy 2022-2025 is a comprehensive roadmap achievable target and outcomes.
Developed by education experts from the two regions, it is focused on improving teaching and learning, reducing learning poverty, expanding access to relevant jobs and skills training.
Mr Diagana said the new World Bank strategy on education for Africa was to address the barriers inhibiting access to and quality education delivery on the continent.
“The education system in Africa is going through crisis,” he said, explaining that was the reason why the World Bank had developed the new strategy for the two regions.
Mr Diagana said the new education strategy was developed by educational experts from Africa.
He said the World Bank would on July 7 this year convene a conference on education financing in Africa in Senegal.
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw OseiAdutwum, in his remarks said the launch of the new educational strategy was a key milestone for education delivery in Africa.
He said the Accra Call of Action called for urgent action to improve education delivery in the country, adding that “Africa had to look at what others had done to develop.”
Dr Adutwum said government was constructing seven Technical and Vocational Education Colleges to promote practical-oriented training in the sector.
“Africa’s vicious cycle of poverty can be turned into a cycle of prosperity if education is enhanced,” he said.
The Regional Director for Human Development in charge of Western and Central Africa of the World Bank, Dena Ringold, said the new educational strategy took into consideration the needs and peculiarities of the various countries in the two regions.
“The new educational strategy draws from the diversity of the countries in the sub-region. And I think what is inspiring in the strategy is the number of great examples that are coming from the countries in the region,” she said.
The Regional Director added that “what is unique about this strategy is that, it is not a strategy for education sector. It is a strategy for improving education.”
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
