Foundational learning, the ability to read, write, and do basic math, is the bedrock of every child's education. This is not just an educational failure, but also a development emergency. In Africa specifically, challenges are more pronounced.

Too many students are still missing this crucial start. The challenge now is how to scale what works and finance it sustainably across the continent. When every child has the right book and teachers have the right guidance, the promise of foundational learning begins to take root.

The foundations of learning include basic literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills. Students often fail to thrive in school or in the workplace without foundational learning, leading to intergenerational poverty and vulnerability.

Education and healthcare are the two sectors where artificial intelligence (AI) holds the greatest potential to deliver meaningful benefits for society, according to Frost & Sullivan’s Global ICT Practice Leader, Alexander Michael.

Speaking at Huawei’s Smart Education Forum at GITEX Global 2025, Michael said AI’s impact on the classroom could be transformative, allowing learning to evolve from static and standardised models into “something personalised and far more dynamic”.

The event, hosted by Huawei at Dubai World Trade Centre, brought together educators, policymakers and technology experts to discuss how digital technologies can enhance teaching quality, drive inclusivity, and optimise operations across schools and universities.

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the standard and quality of completed and ongoing projects executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in tertiary Institutions across the country to ensure value for money.

In its resolution following a motion sponsored by Aderemi Oseni (APC, Oyo), the House asked the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance, the National Universities Commission, TETFund and development partners to work out modalities to refurbish the First-Generation Universities to restore the glory and quality of the universities.

Leading the debate on the motion, Oseni recalled that First-Generation Federal Universities in Nigeria in the early 60s exuded glory, glamour, quality and class from inception, and were also the pride of the nation in those days, adding that the standard and quality of these first-generation universities, in terms of quality of teachers, students and infrastructure attracted them to foreign students and international recognitions across the world.

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to take urgent steps toward restoring the lost glory of Nigeria’s first-generation universities, including Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the University of Ibadan; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, among others.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Aderemi Oseni (APC, Oyo) during Wednesday’s plenary session. The motion, titled “Need to Upgrade First-Generation Universities and Investigate the Quality and Standards of TETFUND Projects Across Federal Universities in Nigeria,” received overwhelming support from lawmakers.

Oseni noted that the first-generation universities, established in the early 1960s, once represented the pinnacle of academic excellence, boasting world-class facilities, highly qualified lecturers, and an environment that attracted global recognition.

In a significant move aimed at enhancing students’ knowledge of entrepreneurship and digital literacy to combat youth unemployment, the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Tertiary Education, will commence a three-weekend Job Initiative Lagos (JIL) entrepreneurship and intensive digital knowledge training programme for students in state-owned tertiary institutions.

In a statement on Thursday, the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Mamud Hassan, and the Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, said the entrepreneurship training is a core initiative under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus agenda, specifically targeting the Education and Technology pillars.

“This administration is committed to driving the socio-economic growth of the state by leveraging digital knowledge to foster entrepreneurship, creativity, and problem-solving skills,” Commissioner Sule stated.
“Our ultimate goal is to reduce unemployment and cement Lagos State’s position as the hub of digital technology in the Sub-Saharan region.”

Glancing at the news, one could easily conclude that our collective wish for a more peaceful, equal world is slipping out of reach. Ongoing conflicts, climate change, human displacement, and economic shocks do indeed paint a bleak picture.

But we cannot afford to surrender to pessimism. To face these and other cross-border challenges head-on, we need everyone to play a part, including the more than 270 million children globally who are currently out of school.

Education fuels inclusive growth, builds resilience, and lays the foundation for peace and prosperity. It creates opportunities not only for one generation, but also for those that follow. That is why we, as current and former African heads of state, are co-hosting the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2026-2030 financing campaign which aims to mobilise $5 billion to provide a better education to 750 million children.

The Lagos State Government has empowered over 600 undergraduates with tech skills in Software Quality Assurance (SQA) to meet 21st-century challenges. The programme was initiated by the Office of the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Students’ Union Affairs and Tertiary Education, Kappo Olawale.

The three-week training programme, organised by Korrekt Tech, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tertiary Education, was held simultaneously at the College of Health Technology, Yaba, Lagos State University of Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu, and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Otto-Ijanikin.

It was designed to equip students with practical skills for real-world challenges and prepare them for emerging opportunities in the global technology ecosystem. Participants were exposed to fundamentals of software testing, static techniques, and career guidance into the tech industry, among others.

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Education Trust Fund, has called on the media organisations and the practitioners in the country to join hands with it in protecting the rights of children.

The FG, through the Federal Ministry of Information and Orientation, emphasised that journalists played a vital role in shaping public understanding, influencing attitudes, and protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, particularly children, hence the collaboration with the media.

Speaking at a two-day training of media practitioners on ethical journalism and children’s rights reporting, on Monday, in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Ogbodo Nnam, said the expectation from the media was in the area of ethical reporting of child protection.

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards empowering youths in areas of education, digital skills, entrepreneurship, and creative industries, among others. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, made this known in Abuja on Monday.

Speaking during a press conference ahead of the 2025 national youth day scheduled to commence on November 27, 2025, Olawande, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Muhammed Abdullahi, said the youth day will bring together youths across Nigeria.

He said, “It is a timely reminder that the future of Africa lies in the hands of our youth, a generation that is more connected, more informed, and more capable than ever. “As we stand at the crossroads of economic transformation, technological advancement, and cultural renaissance, our youth are not just participants in change, they are the actual drivers.

Beginning the next academic year [2025/2026], all students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) will undertake a one-credit course in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, said the move, which forms part of the new national AI strategy as well as the university’s own AI strategy, has already been approved by the academic board and Governing Council for a roll out.

“Effective next academic year, every student is going to take a micro-credential course in AI, which will be run on the university’s e-learning platform. Students and staff who undertake the course will be certified to make them globally competitive,” she stressed.

The KNUST Summer School has grown steadily into one of the university’s flagship professional development initiatives. From its humble beginnings in 2011, when only 250 Senior members participated in the first edition themed “Equipping Staff for Leading Change in Academia,” the Summer School has expanded in both scope and participation.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has warned that heads of second cycle schools who deny admission to students duly placed in their schools or demand unapproved fees will face sanctions. He expressed concern over reports received by the ministry that some heads of schools were frustrating the enrollment process for first-year students and extorting money from parents and guardians.

The minister issued the warning at the 32nd Annual Conference of Directors of Education held in Sunyani, in the Bono Region. Mr Iddrisu said such practices were unacceptable and undermined government’s commitment to equitable access to free and quality education for every Ghanaian child.

He emphasised that all students who had been officially placed in schools through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) must be admitted without any form of discrimination or financial demand beyond the approved fees.

Within the span of a week, two separate videos emerged on social media depicting male teachers in inappropriate sexual situations with female students. These cases are not isolated: they echo broader trends in Ghana, where both formal reports and academic studies reveal that sexual abuse, harassment and coercion of students by teachers and other authority figures remain disturbingly common and normalised in Ghana’s pre-tertiary schools.

The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey reports that teachers account for about two per cent of perpetrators of sexual violence cases against girls aged 15 to 19. A complementary study shows that among female secondary school students who reported sexual assault, one in ten identified teachers as the perpetrators.

Such statistics, combined with recurring high-profile cases, underscore the urgent need for decisive policy reforms to ensure that schools remain safe and protective learning environments. Ghana is not without relevant laws and policies addressing this problem. Within the education sector specifically, there are policy instruments aimed at protecting students from sexual exploitation by their teachers.